The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

90
The Sentinel Amsterdam Integrity, heart, humour SPORT CHIP AND BAWL PERSPECTIVES LIFESTYLES TRAVEL OPINION REVIEW TECHNOLOGY ART FILM TRENDS HEALTH & WELL-BEING SPORT RECOMMENDED FEATURE vol. 5 #10 – 08 May 2012 POLISH HOST CITIES: WARSAW & GDANSK

description

The Sentinel, Amsterdam tri-weekly e-zine with all that is good and informative on lifestyles with perspectives, opinion and sport from Amsterdam looking out at the rest of the world. We inform, update and entertain from our city just under sea-level.

Transcript of The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

Page 1: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

The SentinelAmsterdamIntegrity heart humour

SporT

chip andbawlpErSpECTIVESLIFESTYLESTrAVELopINIoNrEVIEWTECHNoLoGYArTFILMTrENDSHEALTH amp WELL-BEINGSporTrECoMMENDED

FEATurE

vol 5 10 ndash 08 May 2012

pOliSh hOST ciTiES waRSaw amp GdanSK

CoNTENTS 02

03CoNTENTS

In this issueFEATurE p 04

CoLopHoN

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Petr Kvifala Valeria Scimia Michaela Silpochova Simon Owusu David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre and Fleur Berkhout

Chip and bawl

TrIppING DAYS p 10

5deg 52 N 55deg 10 W

CuLTurE p 24

Prague Welcome II

SporT p40 SporT p 88 MorE

Polish host cities Warsaw amp Gdansk

The Gold Room ArT p 72DOX

TECHNoLoGY p 76Tech wars

SpoTTED p 80Where is this in Amsterdam

FILM rEVIEW p 81Room 2C

THE SENTINEL RECOMMENDED p 83

TrENDS p 84Who watches the watchmen II

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING p 86GOH light

lsquoThe system is unfair to touristsrsquo

lsquoBoth stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supportersrsquo

lsquoMatch your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look likersquo

04FEATurE

CHIP AND BAWL

lsquoThe system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniencesrsquo

By Valeria Scimia

FEATurE 05

In November 2011 the OV (Openbaar VervoerPublic Transport) chipkaart officially replaced the strippenkaart as the standard way to pay public transportation fares in the Netherlands Since that time I have heard many people complaining about the new system

To briefly summarise OV chip cards can be bought from Central Station some main metro stations and from newsagents tobacconists and ticket shops who have agreed to the transport departmentrsquos deal The card itself costs euro7 before it has even been charged with money credits Only at the station is it possible to (re)charge the card using cash All other charging points accept Dutch bank cards only The first point that springs to mind is that the system is unfair to tourists but they can always buy a ticket that is valid for an hour for the small amount of euro260 However the system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniences

Charging points remain difficult to find One would think that by now there would be a charging machine at every tram and metro stopstation but this isnrsquot the case Instead the machines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a station Often I have found myself in isolated places with no money on my card and with no place to charge it to be found Once I found myself at Bullewijk station for instance after a trip to the giant Ikea and there was no charging machine regular ticket machine or security personnel whatsoever It seemed that I could ride for free but I knew that I needed to check-out at the main station and that my empty card would have not let me through without making a big scene After wondering what to do I decided to risk it take the metro

and get off before the main station where I knew there would be proper security This meant I had to walk a much longer way home loaded with Ikea bags which I did not find amusing

Surely this should not have been the case when a new digital system had just put in place Didnrsquot the transport authorities consider all circumstances before introducing it The new system had even been tested lsquovirtuallyrsquo in Second Life in 2008 so one would think these types of practical problem might have caught someonersquos attention at that time but apparently not Articles of the time reported that security issues were the main problems to solve and practicality simply missed the spotlight

The same lack of machinery applies to tram stations Although the GVB could counter that it is possible to buy a ticket on the tram sometimes people do not carry any cash and ATMs are not always to hand If someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luck Tram conduc-tors do not appear to have much sympathy on the matter and will not allow you to board without a beep either from your card or a purchased ticket

lsquoMachines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a stationrsquo

lsquoIf someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luckrsquo

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 2: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CoNTENTS 02

03CoNTENTS

In this issueFEATurE p 04

CoLopHoN

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Petr Kvifala Valeria Scimia Michaela Silpochova Simon Owusu David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre and Fleur Berkhout

Chip and bawl

TrIppING DAYS p 10

5deg 52 N 55deg 10 W

CuLTurE p 24

Prague Welcome II

SporT p40 SporT p 88 MorE

Polish host cities Warsaw amp Gdansk

The Gold Room ArT p 72DOX

TECHNoLoGY p 76Tech wars

SpoTTED p 80Where is this in Amsterdam

FILM rEVIEW p 81Room 2C

THE SENTINEL RECOMMENDED p 83

TrENDS p 84Who watches the watchmen II

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING p 86GOH light

lsquoThe system is unfair to touristsrsquo

lsquoBoth stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supportersrsquo

lsquoMatch your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look likersquo

04FEATurE

CHIP AND BAWL

lsquoThe system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniencesrsquo

By Valeria Scimia

FEATurE 05

In November 2011 the OV (Openbaar VervoerPublic Transport) chipkaart officially replaced the strippenkaart as the standard way to pay public transportation fares in the Netherlands Since that time I have heard many people complaining about the new system

To briefly summarise OV chip cards can be bought from Central Station some main metro stations and from newsagents tobacconists and ticket shops who have agreed to the transport departmentrsquos deal The card itself costs euro7 before it has even been charged with money credits Only at the station is it possible to (re)charge the card using cash All other charging points accept Dutch bank cards only The first point that springs to mind is that the system is unfair to tourists but they can always buy a ticket that is valid for an hour for the small amount of euro260 However the system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniences

Charging points remain difficult to find One would think that by now there would be a charging machine at every tram and metro stopstation but this isnrsquot the case Instead the machines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a station Often I have found myself in isolated places with no money on my card and with no place to charge it to be found Once I found myself at Bullewijk station for instance after a trip to the giant Ikea and there was no charging machine regular ticket machine or security personnel whatsoever It seemed that I could ride for free but I knew that I needed to check-out at the main station and that my empty card would have not let me through without making a big scene After wondering what to do I decided to risk it take the metro

and get off before the main station where I knew there would be proper security This meant I had to walk a much longer way home loaded with Ikea bags which I did not find amusing

Surely this should not have been the case when a new digital system had just put in place Didnrsquot the transport authorities consider all circumstances before introducing it The new system had even been tested lsquovirtuallyrsquo in Second Life in 2008 so one would think these types of practical problem might have caught someonersquos attention at that time but apparently not Articles of the time reported that security issues were the main problems to solve and practicality simply missed the spotlight

The same lack of machinery applies to tram stations Although the GVB could counter that it is possible to buy a ticket on the tram sometimes people do not carry any cash and ATMs are not always to hand If someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luck Tram conduc-tors do not appear to have much sympathy on the matter and will not allow you to board without a beep either from your card or a purchased ticket

lsquoMachines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a stationrsquo

lsquoIf someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luckrsquo

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 3: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

03CoNTENTS

In this issueFEATurE p 04

CoLopHoN

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Petr Kvifala Valeria Scimia Michaela Silpochova Simon Owusu David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre and Fleur Berkhout

Chip and bawl

TrIppING DAYS p 10

5deg 52 N 55deg 10 W

CuLTurE p 24

Prague Welcome II

SporT p40 SporT p 88 MorE

Polish host cities Warsaw amp Gdansk

The Gold Room ArT p 72DOX

TECHNoLoGY p 76Tech wars

SpoTTED p 80Where is this in Amsterdam

FILM rEVIEW p 81Room 2C

THE SENTINEL RECOMMENDED p 83

TrENDS p 84Who watches the watchmen II

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING p 86GOH light

lsquoThe system is unfair to touristsrsquo

lsquoBoth stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supportersrsquo

lsquoMatch your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look likersquo

04FEATurE

CHIP AND BAWL

lsquoThe system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniencesrsquo

By Valeria Scimia

FEATurE 05

In November 2011 the OV (Openbaar VervoerPublic Transport) chipkaart officially replaced the strippenkaart as the standard way to pay public transportation fares in the Netherlands Since that time I have heard many people complaining about the new system

To briefly summarise OV chip cards can be bought from Central Station some main metro stations and from newsagents tobacconists and ticket shops who have agreed to the transport departmentrsquos deal The card itself costs euro7 before it has even been charged with money credits Only at the station is it possible to (re)charge the card using cash All other charging points accept Dutch bank cards only The first point that springs to mind is that the system is unfair to tourists but they can always buy a ticket that is valid for an hour for the small amount of euro260 However the system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniences

Charging points remain difficult to find One would think that by now there would be a charging machine at every tram and metro stopstation but this isnrsquot the case Instead the machines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a station Often I have found myself in isolated places with no money on my card and with no place to charge it to be found Once I found myself at Bullewijk station for instance after a trip to the giant Ikea and there was no charging machine regular ticket machine or security personnel whatsoever It seemed that I could ride for free but I knew that I needed to check-out at the main station and that my empty card would have not let me through without making a big scene After wondering what to do I decided to risk it take the metro

and get off before the main station where I knew there would be proper security This meant I had to walk a much longer way home loaded with Ikea bags which I did not find amusing

Surely this should not have been the case when a new digital system had just put in place Didnrsquot the transport authorities consider all circumstances before introducing it The new system had even been tested lsquovirtuallyrsquo in Second Life in 2008 so one would think these types of practical problem might have caught someonersquos attention at that time but apparently not Articles of the time reported that security issues were the main problems to solve and practicality simply missed the spotlight

The same lack of machinery applies to tram stations Although the GVB could counter that it is possible to buy a ticket on the tram sometimes people do not carry any cash and ATMs are not always to hand If someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luck Tram conduc-tors do not appear to have much sympathy on the matter and will not allow you to board without a beep either from your card or a purchased ticket

lsquoMachines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a stationrsquo

lsquoIf someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luckrsquo

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 4: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

04FEATurE

CHIP AND BAWL

lsquoThe system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniencesrsquo

By Valeria Scimia

FEATurE 05

In November 2011 the OV (Openbaar VervoerPublic Transport) chipkaart officially replaced the strippenkaart as the standard way to pay public transportation fares in the Netherlands Since that time I have heard many people complaining about the new system

To briefly summarise OV chip cards can be bought from Central Station some main metro stations and from newsagents tobacconists and ticket shops who have agreed to the transport departmentrsquos deal The card itself costs euro7 before it has even been charged with money credits Only at the station is it possible to (re)charge the card using cash All other charging points accept Dutch bank cards only The first point that springs to mind is that the system is unfair to tourists but they can always buy a ticket that is valid for an hour for the small amount of euro260 However the system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniences

Charging points remain difficult to find One would think that by now there would be a charging machine at every tram and metro stopstation but this isnrsquot the case Instead the machines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a station Often I have found myself in isolated places with no money on my card and with no place to charge it to be found Once I found myself at Bullewijk station for instance after a trip to the giant Ikea and there was no charging machine regular ticket machine or security personnel whatsoever It seemed that I could ride for free but I knew that I needed to check-out at the main station and that my empty card would have not let me through without making a big scene After wondering what to do I decided to risk it take the metro

and get off before the main station where I knew there would be proper security This meant I had to walk a much longer way home loaded with Ikea bags which I did not find amusing

Surely this should not have been the case when a new digital system had just put in place Didnrsquot the transport authorities consider all circumstances before introducing it The new system had even been tested lsquovirtuallyrsquo in Second Life in 2008 so one would think these types of practical problem might have caught someonersquos attention at that time but apparently not Articles of the time reported that security issues were the main problems to solve and practicality simply missed the spotlight

The same lack of machinery applies to tram stations Although the GVB could counter that it is possible to buy a ticket on the tram sometimes people do not carry any cash and ATMs are not always to hand If someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luck Tram conduc-tors do not appear to have much sympathy on the matter and will not allow you to board without a beep either from your card or a purchased ticket

lsquoMachines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a stationrsquo

lsquoIf someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luckrsquo

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 5: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

By Valeria Scimia

FEATurE 05

In November 2011 the OV (Openbaar VervoerPublic Transport) chipkaart officially replaced the strippenkaart as the standard way to pay public transportation fares in the Netherlands Since that time I have heard many people complaining about the new system

To briefly summarise OV chip cards can be bought from Central Station some main metro stations and from newsagents tobacconists and ticket shops who have agreed to the transport departmentrsquos deal The card itself costs euro7 before it has even been charged with money credits Only at the station is it possible to (re)charge the card using cash All other charging points accept Dutch bank cards only The first point that springs to mind is that the system is unfair to tourists but they can always buy a ticket that is valid for an hour for the small amount of euro260 However the system is not only unfair to tourists since residents also face similar inconveniences

Charging points remain difficult to find One would think that by now there would be a charging machine at every tram and metro stopstation but this isnrsquot the case Instead the machines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a station Often I have found myself in isolated places with no money on my card and with no place to charge it to be found Once I found myself at Bullewijk station for instance after a trip to the giant Ikea and there was no charging machine regular ticket machine or security personnel whatsoever It seemed that I could ride for free but I knew that I needed to check-out at the main station and that my empty card would have not let me through without making a big scene After wondering what to do I decided to risk it take the metro

and get off before the main station where I knew there would be proper security This meant I had to walk a much longer way home loaded with Ikea bags which I did not find amusing

Surely this should not have been the case when a new digital system had just put in place Didnrsquot the transport authorities consider all circumstances before introducing it The new system had even been tested lsquovirtuallyrsquo in Second Life in 2008 so one would think these types of practical problem might have caught someonersquos attention at that time but apparently not Articles of the time reported that security issues were the main problems to solve and practicality simply missed the spotlight

The same lack of machinery applies to tram stations Although the GVB could counter that it is possible to buy a ticket on the tram sometimes people do not carry any cash and ATMs are not always to hand If someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luck Tram conduc-tors do not appear to have much sympathy on the matter and will not allow you to board without a beep either from your card or a purchased ticket

lsquoMachines are placed in supermarkets and other weird places which are impossible to find and are generally nowhere near a stationrsquo

lsquoIf someone gets stuck in a new or unfamiliar area without credit on their OV-chipkaart I wish them the best of luckrsquo

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 6: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

06FEATurE

lsquoThatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-ridingrsquo

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 7: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

Oh and please donrsquot forget to beep out or as they say ldquocheck-outrdquo If you miss your beep or confuse it with someone elsersquos beep yoursquore screwed the charge for a full journey which would normally take an hour will be deducted from your credit As far as the system is concerned you didnrsquot leave the tram and remained on it for the full duration of the trip Because thatrsquos how people like to spend their days it seems tram-riding You can always send a complaint and ask for a refund but then yoursquod better remember the exact time tram number place and stationstop of the missed beep and while yoursquore at it the conductorrsquos shoe size might be helpful too If you fail to remember all the required information you can kiss your refund goodbye A friend of mine kept all her charging receipts to prove that she did charge the card As an anonymous (name and detail free) user you need to do that or start printing your bank statements I suppose that given the amount in question is normally just a little less than euro5 they must hope people cannot be bothered to issue a complaint and go through all that hassle for such a tiny sum

Mathematics however is not an opinion and when summing up all of Amsterdamrsquos beep failures you can imagine how much money the GVB makes due to these frequent incidents So please do submit a complaint if only to raise the GVBrsquos awareness and make its staff go through the same kind of hassle to which you are subjected every time you need to charge your card and canrsquot find a machine You can send all OV-chipkaart complaints to httpwwwov-chipklachtnl a website with a name that couldnrsquot be more appro-priate for its purpose

There are countless other OV incidents that I could mention but instead I will close this article by reminding everyone that Amsterdam is a small city relatively free from traffic congestion and with good air quality Cycling and walking are healthy and free so letrsquos explore all the possibilities and make the best of them especially now that better weather should soon be upon us

FEATurE 07

lsquoCycling and walking are healthy and freersquo

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 8: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporTCLASSIFIEDS 08

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 9: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 09

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 10: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

10TrIppING DAYS

paramaribo the pearl

of suriname

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 11: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

After a not too troublesome take-off and cruise across the Atlantic I should have known things were not going to be as ideal as hoped for when on final approach to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport things became creepy First of all when the landing gear was lowered it made such a noise vibration and thump that many of the passengers (and I assume infrequent flyers) started to applaud as if we had landed safely (they still do that clapping thing in Dutch air-travel culture) This was only immediately funny as we were still some minutes out over the Atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former US military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the jungle My humour was again tested when we did eventually land in that double-bounce manner employed by less than expert flight commanders and taxied back to our parking area some two-hundred metres from the terminal building It would seem that one of the two-person flight-deck crew got carried away with the shutdown procedure after we had come to a stop since just as the captain alerted the cabin staff to make ready to open doors there was a total electrical failure throughout the passenger cabin Not even the emergency lights came on Immediately there was a feeling of diminishing oxygen with sealed doors and more than 290 passengers steaming up the windows and exhibiting the same nervousness as we were We were sitting on the tarmac in the tropics in an aluminium tube in total darkness wondering when and how we would get off The re-initiation of the genera-tors must have taken at least 10 minutes

TrIppING DAYS 11

We take a certain responsibility very seriously here at The Sentinel and that is to be honest about where and what we report on We save our humour for where it is due and in so doing maintain our integrity

Together with its national airline Surinam Airways this country on the upper eastern tip of the South American continent is regularly in a state of lsquoconfusionrsquo and is not an easily recommended place to visit as an average tourist For a start when we booked to travel from Amsterdam to the Caribbean via Paramaribo my wife and I could not have expected the overnight connection to be so dramatic

Letrsquos put it this way a traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations he or she is likely to encounter Not so in Suriname as even though the national airline advertised a new and competitive connection to the southern Caribbean this involved having to overnight there Going along with this we decided to book a hotel for the few hours rest between flights as all reports indicated that the airport pretty much closes a couple of hours after our flight arrived from Amsterdam All of this was done in good faith and as two Dutch passport holders we felt we had done enough to smoothly transition through and offer some support to the economy of this developing nation We were also scheduled for a full 24-hour stay there on our return journey to Europe

By Denson Pierre

lsquoa traveller can normally be forgiven for assuming something about lsquonormalrsquo situations

he or she is likely to encounterrsquo

lsquoover the atlantic and about to land on a piece of savannah clearing and former us military airfield with a three-kilometre runway in the

junglersquo

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 12: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

12TrIppING DAYS

lsquothe average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and

inexpensiversquo

lsquoWe would not be allowed beyond that point without a visarsquo

were relaxed and funned-up Paramariborsquos out-of-step unreadiness for modern tourism did not affect us much and we even found time to capture images of some of the fast-crumbling lumber-built 17th- and 18th-century architectural masterpieces which led to Unesco bestowing its special World Heritage status on a substantial area of the old city

There are also some very positive things to say about Paramaribo The average resident is calm and friendly and the food is flavourful and inexpensive The local chilled beer is refreshing and hanging loose at the Waterkant or in one of the many Chinese casino-hotels could bring some engagement for part of a day or night

The following photos highlight the cityrsquos outstanding architectural beauty in wood but I still had a nagging concern about what surprises the 1994-built Airbus A340 had in store for us on the journey back to the Netherlands where so many thousands of the expatriated Surinamese live in The Dutch Republic

Disembarking was a relief as the incidents of the previous 25 minutes suddenly made the long flight feel like an exhausting trial This however was not the end of our hell in the hot and humid night as next we had to endure the usual slow-moving queue to the immigration desk (one at a time please) only to be told we would not be allowed beyond that point without a visa Somehow I could not believe that Suriname was so silly as to demand a visa from Dutch nationals even if it was a republic and the history of the Dutch and their colonial brutalities are well known Well after a lot of posturing by the ministry officials and euro80 deposited in their little tin safe-box we had our visas to enter the country and make our way to the city and hotel some forty-five minutes away

It was a short night as we needed to return to the airport in time to fly to the Caribbean at 600 am

Luckily on the way back to Amsterdam we had already spent three-and-a-half weeks in Trinidad amp Tobago and

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 13: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrIppING DAYS 13

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 14: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

14TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 15: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrIppING DAYS 15

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 16: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

16TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 17: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrIppING DAYS 17

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 18: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

18TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 19: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrIppING DAYS 19

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 20: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

20TrIppING DAYS

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 21: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrIppING DAYS 21

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 22: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

Familiar and yet always innovative Marriott

The Prague Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of the city center a few steps away from historical landmarks such as the Municipal House and a short walk from the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square After a decade in the Czech market this Marriott flagship property represents a symbol of superior and dedicated service combined with local know how and expertise

The hotel interior was recently renovated its rooms and suites now offer even more comfort and luxury All 293 spacious guest rooms are fully equipped with high speed wired and wi-fi internet personal safe mini-bar satellite TV with LCD screens movies and music on demand voice mail data ports individual climate control and a comfortable working area

The hotel offers 1450 square meters (11 conference rooms in total some with daylight) of newly renovated flexible conference reception and banquet space located on one level Whether you need to organize a board meeting for 8 participants or a conference reception for 750 delegates the Prague Marriott will provide a tailored service that exceeds your expectations The professional event management team will create a successful event you will always remember

Since July 2009 we have incorporated ldquogreen eventsrdquo into our everyday standards By applying the principles of reduce reuse and recycle to all events and meetings we make them more eco-friendly and help guests and meeting planners reduce their carbon footprint on the environment

CLASSIFIEDS 22

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 23: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 23

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 24: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

24

Prague welcome

Part II

CuLTurE

lsquothe man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty

walking talking explaining human encyclopaediarsquo

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 25: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

By Denson Pierre

25CuLTurE

visit sponsored by the City of Prague for global editors of leading travel publishing houses and The Sentinel We were given an official champagne greeting in the historic town hall and all of our engagements did indeed glisten with an ambassadorial veneer The countries represented in the group were Japan South Korea Turkey Finland Poland Russia and The Netherlands Between this issue and the end of our Prague focus you will notice all of my international colleagues making Hitchcockian cameo appearances

So two days of touring and learning ended and in the following issue of The Sentinel I will take you around further extremely interesting corners also talking about the loveliness of the people I met in this city and the way they appear to get on with everyday life even when surrounded by such splendid architecture and enjoyable physical geographic forms

If ever I was impressed by another professional doing their job well then our Prague guide has now surely surpassed them He was able to provide comprehensive information about all of the photo subjects and people you have so far seen and all of our activities The man is simply a charming intelligent gentle witty walking talking explaining human encyclopaedia Our entire group of world-travelled and previously guided visitors was tremendously impressed I will provide his contact details for top-level tours later in this series

As you have also seen in the previous issue some photos perhaps do not quite match your idea of what a four-day visit to Prague might look like as they may seem somewhat official Well this is the lowdown it was an official cultural

lsquoCountries represented in the group were Japan south Korea turkey finland poland russia and the netherlandsrsquo

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 26: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

lsquothe loveliness of the people i met in this cityrsquo

26CuLTurE

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 27: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CuLTurE 27

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 28: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

28CuLTurE

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 29: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CuLTurE 29

lsquoCultural modern art and feeding at the zoorsquo

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 30: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 31: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

YOU WONrsquoT FIND BETTER PRICES IN THE CZ THAN IN OUR AIRPORT SHOPS

It pays to shop at the airport Many brand outlets with a wide selection of exclusive goods carry The Best Price Guarantee logo which means you get the best prices in the Czech Republic

A4indd 8 12412 1012

KEEP AN EYE OUTFOR CHEAPER PARKINGONLINE RESERVATIONS AT WWWPRGAERO

Park comfortably and conveniently in our secure garages Online reservations for covered parking areas available online at discount prices

from

750 CZK per week

A4indd 4 12412 1011

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 32: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

lsquoDesigning a modern in-flight winersquo

32CuLTurE

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 33: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CuLTurE 33

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 34: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

34CuLTurE

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 35: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CuLTurE 35

lsquoa trial of inspirationrsquo

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 36: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

36CuLTurE

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 37: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

lsquosharon keeping his distance from the light at the end of

the tunnelrsquo

CuLTurE 37

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 38: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 38

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwconsultancymarketmediacom

- Account Manager Market Media- (Internship) International Marketing Executive

we are looking for

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 39: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 39

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 40: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

40SporT

lsquoa competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions leaguersquo

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 41: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 41

Back in April The Sentinel was invited to be part of a press group (Belgian Dutch radio print journalists and photographers) on a trial run through Warsaw and Gdansk to test the socio-cultural readiness of their inhabitants and the infrastructure to accommodate the summer festival of international tournament football that is about to envelop them

The first thing to say is that both stadiums are fully ready to receive the many thousands of supporters who will use

them throughout the Euro 2012 tournament Of particular interest were facilitiesactivities for visiting fans both those with match-day tickets and those who inevitably turn up without tickets to be close to the atmosphere and action How the football itself turns out has very little to do with the Poles since UEFA will have descended on Poland (and Ukraine) by the end of April and totally taken over the highly branded and technology-led operations of a competition that carries equivalent glossy production levels to the Champions League There is no room for error when running the shiny machine that is mostly geared towards lucrative live inter-national television broadcasts

By Denson Pierre

lsquotop football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the bestrsquo

euro 2012 polish host CitieswaRSaw amp GdanSK (SOpOT)

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 42: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

Otherwise Warsaw is a breezy city with many squares and areas for groups to gather and enjoy views along the main river or sessions (over)indulging in readily available light pilsners There are lovely parks and royal route walks For those interested in classical music and Frederic Chopin in particular there is a chique museum dedicated to him and a three dimensional statue under which to while away your day Chopin spent the first nineteen years of his life in Warsaw before transplanting to Paris never to return

More than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured options Poland is still a cheap country in Euro terms although it seems insulated by the idea that its position outside the Euro currency and 4 economic growth in the last year justifies actually disad-vantaging itself in the long-term by remaining outside the fiscal union Four per cent growth in a former Soviet-bloc country does not resonate as much as even one quarter of a percentage growth in a Eurozone country Hospitality staff can be found working for around euro2 per hour for instance Perspective please

Fans who find themselves in Warsaw for the Euros or families who come afterwards for a general break could put together a very good two-day city break of the cultural variety One concern I have regarding the football is the fan zone location in relation to the city and its security Warsaw city centre has an ideal layout for parading the usually large hysterical national group psychologies associated with football The fan zone is located in an area of no particular appeal and only some ten minutes away Maybe an extreme plan exists to police crowds to remain in these prepared areas and then be dispersed in small groups Or perhaps make the entirely re-built (since the 1950s) city a no-go zone for fans on pre-match day match day and night Getting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge city and even if the metro construction which was commissioned for this upcoming tournament will not be completed before the end of 2013 on a sunny day walking is an easy option

Warsaw has had the privilege of being re-granted the national stadium which is built on the same site as the old one It is a fine airy contemporary construction which should provide all 58000 possible seated spectators with an excellent view of the football business that will take place on high-grade turf imported from the Netherlands One of the semi-finals will take place here but the final has somehow been allocated to the co-host city of Kiev in Ukraine a bordering country that reportedly shows a greater likelihood of disrupting the smooth running of the tournament Indeed in some quarters fans are considered daring just to go there Top football can ease many tensions so we can only hope for the best

In Warsaw (and Poland) you cannot miss the fact that its central geographical location mean that the country and psychology of the people have been truly battered by the violent history of Europe over the past millennium Everywhere you turn you see a monument to some battle against one invading force or other The most oppressive associations however are those with the Second World War Warsaw was 85 destroyed by the Nazis and I mean completely levelled Before the war the city had a population of some 14 million but by 1945 only about 1000 inhabit-ants could be found living like rodents within the city limits strewn with rubble and bodies in various states of decomposition

During the free time not taken up by football I suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum It is a modern interactive facility with a very heavy and emotional story to tell Do brace yourself as even our guide was unable to hold back the tears as she explained the horrors associated with the Nazi occupation and the destruction exacted on her people three generations ago

42SporT

lsquomore than ample eateries serve both local dishes and internationally flavoured optionsrsquo

lsquoi suggest taking a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museumrsquo

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 43: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 43

lsquoGetting around should be easy enough as it is not a huge cityrsquo

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 44: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

44SporT

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 45: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 45

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 46: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

46SporT

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 47: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 47

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 48: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

48SporT

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 49: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 49

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 50: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

50SporT

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 51: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 51

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 52: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

52SporT

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 53: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 53

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 54: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

54SporT

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 55: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 55

of solidified resin from the Paleogenic period The warm colours of the material dominate local art and the football stadium is designed to representhellip You guessed it

The PGE Arena (naming rights pennies to come later) is a warm beautiful and compact stadium The group playing here in the early rounds I think have scored a bonus The general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellent with metrotrams due to connect the city with the sporting terrain at regular fifty second intervals

Gdansk does not in any way feel like Poland until you hear the inhabitants speak and share their mood This is a Baltic Sea city with a main square parading a great deal of restored Dutch archi-tecture and other low-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby Scandinavia or Estonia Gdansk is smaller than Warsaw with just over 450000 inhabitants and is the world capital of finished amber produc-tion Some two hundred master jewellers turn out all manner of trinkets and artworks made

lsquothe general environment is pleasant and the public transport system is excellentrsquo

lsquoLow-profile buildings which could have you believing that you were in nearby scandinavia or estoniarsquo

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 56: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 56

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 57: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

57SporT

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 58: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 58

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 59: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

59SporT

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 60: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

share of football and holiday lubricants too The Italians will be feared for their towering football prowess as well as for their perceived lack of spending when on tourholiday

The Gdansk-Sopot area is family friendly and has a feeling of relaxed space with sufficient cultural tour options and highlights If the weather does not co-operate there is room for indoor contemplation at the Cistercian arch cathedral with its awesome pipe organ where you can take in one of the regular mini-concerts featuring the most iconic piece of European church music in surround-sound magnificence This can be enjoyed simply as music regardless of religious beliefs or otherwise There are also both the Amber Museum and the rather educational Solidarity Museum (Roads to Freedom) to explore over a couple of days away from football

All in all I would also personally have liked to be part of the festival of football and culture in Poland this summer But even if it were possible to get there physically the super-inflated accommodation rates represent a further issue and I get the feeling that hostelries are already overbooked on key periods and days Towards those of you reading this and heading over to Poland I feel slightly envious The tourna-ment and the forced exposure to so many different cultures and nationalities visiting will only have positive influences not just on the Polish economy but it may also help the locals to become more open to cultures other than those of a conservative Catholic persuasion

Sopot is a further twenty-five minutes down the road by car less by train It is a spa town-cum-boulevard-cum-marina and the most famous coastal resort and entertainment district in the region Most outstandingly a 511-metre wooden pier allows you to walk out into the regionrsquos well-known extra-salty sea air for an awakening bit of exercise I shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solid with tourists and locals seeking a good time and a view of the sea Their numbers will surely be swelled to bursting by those who come to the greater Gdansk area for football and evening fun

As far as the football tourism goes Sopot has scored a mini-jackpot as the Irish national team will be staying at the townrsquos Sheraton Hotel during pre-tournament and the preliminary rounds of competition There are a few bars and restaurants right next to this hotel but I smile when I say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousands The Spanish also in Group C are not shy of a cerveza either and Croats who make it over will be keen to afford their

60SporT

lsquoI shudder to think what it will be like here on a 20˚C (the average summer high) when according to local experts the public areas are already packed solidrsquo

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 61: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 61

lsquoI say that local organisers really will have to erect many more beverage outlets to handle the thirsty throng of Irish supporters who I am sure will descend in their thousandsrsquo

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 62: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 62

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 63: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

63SporT

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 64: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 64

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 65: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

65SporT

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 66: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 66

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 67: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

67SporT

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 68: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 68

wwwyourtuliptourcom

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 69: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS 69

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 70: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 70

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 71: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 71

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 72: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

ArT 72

DoX Centre for Contemporary art prague

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 73: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

73ArT

Motto In an age when growing numbers of people tend to think dangerously alike art s capacity to suspend even for a moment our habitual ways of seeing may well prove to be of its greatest value

The name DOX derived from Greek doxa means a method of understanding an opinion and a conviction Over the three years of its existence DOX the largest and most progressive art centre in the Czech Republic has presented more than eighty thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions and over three hundred public events at its incredible 3 200m2 of exhibition space

A former factory redesigned into an impressively minimalist exhibition space has been nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize for architecture and aims for the standard of bdquofirst leagueldquo art institutions around the world

wwwdoxcz

DOX Centre for Contemporary ArtPoupetova 1 Prague 7 CZT + 420 295 123E infodoxcz

Opening Hours Mon 10am ndash 6pmTue closedWed-Fri 11am ndash 7pmSat-Sun 10am ndash 6pm

Full price 180kč (7EUR)PersThe DOX Centrersquos premises are barrier-free

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 74: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

ArT 74

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 75: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

75ArT

MEMBRA DISJECTA FOR JOHN CAGE Wanting to say something about John25 5 - 20 8 2012

One of the major exhibitions planned for the springsummer season is a tribute to an American musician writer and visual and intermedia artist John Cage(1912-1992) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death

The exhibition title Membra Disjecta for John Cage refers to the artists s famous method of treatment for various inspirational sources as well as to the historic aesthetic and media heterogeneity of exhibited collection (membra disjecta or disjecta membra is a Latin term for ldquoscattered membersrdquo and is used to refer to surviving fragments of ancient pottery manuscripts and other cultural objects) Participating artists include several of Cagersquos collaborators and friends as well as younger artists who are inspired by his work The show is an ambitious undertaking juxtaposing a variety of media with paintings drawings prints collages musical scores photographs instructive pieces sculptural objects installations videos and sound installations

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 76: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TECHNoLoGY 76

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesIn this final instalment of the Google lsquoDonrsquot Be Evilrsquo series we look into the reasons why Google has developed an lsquoevilrsquo streak as it battles competition mainly from Apple and Facebook in a bid to stay relevant and most importantly profitable

Like Google its competitors have motives that align what they do with how they do it Googlersquos motivation is driven by advertising revenue so it always needs to be in a position to deliver and track ads In order to sell its hardware Apple creates easy to use intuitive software It creates an excellent mobile operating system enabling it to sell hardware devices like the iPhone and iPad which distinguishes the brand from similar lower-cost hardware devices from other manufacturers and software companies

Facebookrsquos motivation is to collect as much information as possible about you Like any free service on the internet you and your information are the product being sold The information you provide is what that service sells to other companies and Facebook is no different

Googlersquos competition from Apple is the mobile platform Seeing the boom of the iPhone and iPad Google realised

that the mobile landscape was changing and was forced to make some drastic moves in mobile space Google realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devices on which it could advertise If Apple controlled the mobile space it would also control the information that ended up in peoplersquos hands Consequently following the iPhone launch Google focused its strategy on getting the greatest quantity of Android devices in peoplersquos hands Google attempted to dominate market share by catering for every single varia-tion possible (in terms of carrier screen size form factor etc) making sure that for every single phone or tablet produced there was a closely matched Android device available as a cheaper alternative A lot of concessions were made to the carriers which led to numerous inconstan-cies from one Android phone to another and also to the fragmentation of Android in general The same is true of the tablets released via Google

Googlersquos competition from Facebook is relevant user data With over 950 million members there is no doubt that Facebook is the king of the social world and knows more about most people than Google In response Google created a single user profile across all its services (as we highlighted a few issues back) so it could build a more complete profile of each user to match the detailed profile

teChWars

lsquoGoogle realised the future would be mobile and in order to continue advertising to the masses it needed people to carry around mobile devicesrsquo

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 77: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

lsquoGoogle which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Androidrsquo

TECHNoLoGY 77

information available to Facebook from its users In gathering information via e-mails web searches contacts made through Google Voice or through its own relatively young social network Google+ Google is attempting to imitate Facebook Facebook employs pattern recognition which enables it to predict when you are likely to do something or want something based on complex algorithms and sufficient data stats about you and the people around you plus the millions of information facets about other Facebook members Facebook collects so much of this data which is freely given that it doesnrsquot need to source it from anywhere else and this is why Google sees it as a big threat

Given the threats from the two aforementioned companies and also those from companies like Amazon and Microsoft Google is taking drastic measures to ensure that it does not lose its revenue model This is based on Googlersquos ability to target ads to specific users likely to buy a product For this it needs as much information about its users as possible to fit them into demographics more amenable to a particular targeted ad Google needs to know who you are what your likes and dislikes are where you like to go on holiday what foods you like to eat etc It also needs to be able to deliver ads to various devices and track the ad-clicks (the number of people who click on an advertisement) To do this successfully Google needs

to be the leader in both personal information and mobile devices enabling it to tie together both sectors and gain the ultimate position for its biggest clients advertising agencies

Unfortunately for Google Facebook currently has the better value proposition for targeted ads since it knows more about people and Apple dominates the iPhone iPod and iPad market for delivering these ads a fact not lost on Google which makes four times more money from its iOS (Apple) device services than from its own Android devices Apple is effectively in control of a large proportion of Googlersquos mobile revenue

In light of its current position and future prospects it is evident that Google is prepared to do a little evil to survive the onslaught from its competitors because ultimately it needs to protect its revenue streams

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 78: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 78

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 79: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS 79

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 80: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

80SpoTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdam By David King

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 81: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

Room 2cfilm

Room 2cfilm

Is it a comedy a drama or is it a layered screenplay about a screenplay It could be all or none of these things but what Spike Jonze has directed here is a cerebral piece of entertainment which actually works better and better the more times you see it Grab the chance to see Meryl Streep pout sweaty sexiness and dabble in psycho-active pursuits while Nicolas Cage veers between being annoying and brilliant in his portrayal of a twin

With so much self-adoring soft porn masquerading as the art of a horror movie these days it is great to enjoy a purer funnier rush over the ninety-seven minutes of this film The title suggests enough and the gore and shock factors are high but thatrsquos only to be expected when you attempt to order a beer in a rural pub called The Slaughtered Lamb Oscar-winning special effects and make up ensure you get your moneyrsquos worth and pay attention at the next full moon

By dpmotions

By dpmotions

Adaptation (2002)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

FILM rEVIEW 81

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 82: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

82AMSTErDAM

copyAmsterSamAmsterCam 2012

Queensday

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 83: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

We find the best most fun most typical exciting or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you an easy way to feel like a local

83

mulligans irish music baramsterdamrsquos best address for live irish music Five (5) nights a week Check our agenda for upcoming sessions Join the friendly atmosphere have a good pint of Guinness and the good old-fashioned ldquoCraicrdquo

Cafe tisfrisCafe tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks funky pillars and terrace The modern artistic interior with a warm bustling atmosphere and inviting music attracts quite a mixed crowd Tisfris offers a friendly and efficient service and is a great pit stop for ldquoyummyrdquo refreshments

Cafe restaurant edelCafe restaurant edel is the perfect place for lunch dinner or to simply enjoy a drink Edel is situated in lsquoHet Sieraadrsquo on Postjesweg It sits in the former clockmaker and jewellerrsquos academy building and has a large waterside terrace Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam

Connoisseurs DelightTo Be Seen and Tasted

To Be Seen and Tasted Fun Drinking amp Music

Opera Prima - Patisserie Bistro TraiteurThe best place in town for lunch exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering both private and corporate

rECoMMENDED

Opera PrimaKinkerstraat 228 Amsterdamwwwoperaprimanl

TisfrisSt Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdamwwwtisfrisnl

EDEL Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam wwwedelamsterdamnl

Mulligans Irish Music BarAmstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdamwwwmulligansnl

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 84: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

TrENDS 84

Who watches the watchmen IIThe pursuiT of hAppiness

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 85: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

lsquoIf Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their livesrsquo

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

85TrENDS

This weekrsquos headline ldquoDutch very happyrdquo

Over the past few years it has become a trend to measure the happiness of people from around the world and compare them Throughout the ages this has also kept philosophers scientists politicians psycholo-gists and many others utterly fascinated These measurements and reports have many different purposes Sometimes they just make people feel better for instance when they show how being very rich alone doesnrsquot in general make people happier than people who are a bit less rich People who are very poor though are significantly unhappier than people who are slightly richer It clearly depends on which group you focus

Anyway another report has been produced on this universal theme and the ever-fascinating question which country in the world is happiest and much more importantly why

The article highlighting the reportrsquos findings includes a happiness list which places the citizens of our happy little country () fourth The only people in the world who are even happier are Denmark Norway and Finland

How has this conclusion been reached The following factors are stated as the main influences the existence of a social safety net no corruption and the level of personal freedom more so than financial wealth

My first reaction is to question if Dutch people are really so damn happy why then are they all voting for the PVV a political party obviously scoring by tapping into people being dissatisfied with their lives

I cannot help but wonder how many people were actually interviewed and were they telling the truth Also

worldwide how do people perceive happiness and can they really rate their own levels objectively I mean when I think I am very happy am I actually as happy as someone in Thailand who thinks he or she is very happy Does culture have an influence on the perception of happiness Incidentally Thailand finds itself way down on the list somehow being ldquothe land of a thousand empty smilesrdquo

Another thing that strikes me is the fact that Finland is so highly ranked Are there not meant to be an unusual amount of suicides in Finland each year and wouldnrsquot that normally be considered a sign of unhappiness I looked it up and according to a list on Wikipedia Finland is indeed quite high up the world suicide per capita list in 19th place to be precise with Norway 34th Denmark 35th and the Netherlands 50th Perhaps there is some logic to this as if the unhappy people kill themselves all you are left with are the happy ones

A link to the full report which is 158 pages long is included here It features many tables on happiness and indeed one of them includes the Netherlands in the afore-said position although I think it might be more insightful to read the whole report and then make a conclusion

The report was presented at a forum during which countries talked about making average happiness levels a goal of their development instead of just economic progress The Bhutan president Jigmi Thinley is a convert to this new way of thinking about the development of countries and the world The motivation behind the theory is that since the 1960s the United States has tripled its gross domestic product (GDP) while average happiness levels have remained the same

A thoroughly fascinating concept and one that might be necessary for the future of the world if we want to make it work in the long term by seeing depression suicide obesity and addiction as side-effects of economic happi-ness and wealth

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 86: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

A new revolutionary goal orientated health concept

Example package Weight loss

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts at gyms Not achieving goals Welcome to our weight loss package

Health Check-Up

Nutritional advice

Join goal specific group lesson (designed weight loss training)

Attend motivational and nutritional seminars every 2 weeks

Every 4 weeks evaluation of progress

Practical tour (food shopping)

Eating out healthily

Health and Well-being for the 21st centuryGOHTM Concept

The new expert-led and holistic approach to diet fitness and weight management for adults and children Positive results in as little as four weeks with clients serious about their health

Itrsquos your body

gohconceptgmailcom - wwwfacebookcomGOHconcept+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy) +31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick) wwwbillysfysionl wwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

Tailored to your individual

goals and contract-free

Nutritional psychological

and motivational advice

Monthly personalised

evaluation and consultation

HEALTH amp WELL-BEING 86

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 87: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

87HEALTH amp WELL-BEING

The following nutritional tips should help you to eat more healthily and might even come in handy while travelling eating out or simply shopping in the supermarket

bull If you want to lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight itrsquos important to change your eating habits permanently Donrsquot be seduced by so called lsquocrash-dietsrsquo which cause the well-known but unwanted lsquoyoyo-effectrsquo

bull Make sure you eat six (6) times a day three meals and three healthy and small lsquoin betweensrsquo This way your blood-glucose-level will remain stable and you wonrsquot overeat because you wonrsquot feel hungry

bull Choose whole-wheat products vegetables fish lean meat and low-fat dairy products Try to avoid processed foods

bull Try to avoid alcohol as it taxes the liver and contains a lot of calories making it very hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight

bull Drink at least two litres of watertea (without sugar) a day to get rid of any toxins and maintain a healthy fluid balance

The nutritional tips above are general advice suitable for anyone who wants to become and stay healthy Each partic-ipant in the GOH concept weight-loss programme receives personalised food advice along with the necessary mentalemotional coaching This makes it much easier to reach and maintain your goals Please check out our Facebook page and join our seminars for more information

Welcome again to the GOH concept a response to peoplersquos complaints about how expensive and unsatisfactory gyms are becoming Many people are fed up with having to pay substantial sums to be locked into contracts for long periods of time and also having to pay extra for services that ought to be included as part of the drive towards achieving their health goals Additional issues include finding your way around the training equipment using it effectively receiving guidance on nutrition and keeping yourself motivated

We would therefore like to keep you updated on the activities and services offered by GOH a holistic concept that offers all of the services mentioned above in a single package This eliminates the need for long gym contracts and having to pay ridiculous amounts to receive satisfac-tory service and health results

GOH is currently holding seminars to network and inform the public about the concept The seminars take place on Thursday evenings in two week intervals For more information about the seminars location dates and times please visit our GOH page on Facebook (wwwfacebookcomgohconcept) Our goal is to change how the fitness industry works and offer people a more satisfactory and affordable service

GOH lightFleur Berkhout

gohconceptgmailcomwwwfacebookcomGOHconcept

+31(0)6 44519526 (David Billy)+31(0)6 51890832 (Peter Fenwick)wwwbillysfysionlwwwfenwickpersonaltrainingnl

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 88: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporT 88SporT

This is the final instalment of the Gold Room focused purely on this seasonrsquos FFG-CL (httpthesentineleuffgLatest-FFGhtm) The competition itself will definitely go to the last day of competition as the remaining two fantasy managers vying for the title and Golden Envelope are still separated by only a single digit These two managers did excep-tionally well to pull away at the end of last year and have held their form and nerve One of them is now approaching a famous victory A special feature will appear in the following issue highlighting the many winners from both Sentinel Fantasy Football competitions

All of that with which we are concerned in here is based on the goings on in the English Premier League and as the season draws to a close I would like to say something about the inconsistency shown by certain clubs concerning the performance of professional managers I will focus on a few (ex) managers of teams that have had high numbers of players involved in this game

Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) an odd little man with an arrogance and petulance unbecoming of a professional arriving at a club with a proven recent pedigree and trying to instil his way of playing almost immediately It was clear from very early on that the player group detested him intensely and their recently demonstrated resurgence under the even less experienced Roberto de Matteo proves that unhappy squads perform worse and can bring a managers downfall

roberto Mancini (Man City) another egomaniac exposed as being not as tactically brilliant as the size of his pay cheque would indicate Beaten into a sudden full head of grey hairs by Champions League and then Europa League opponents we are left wondering if the vast amount he was able to spend was not enough to have ensured him winning both main competitions In todayrsquos real world fantasy football it will be a small wonder if he keeps his job at Manchester City beyond June

Harry redknapp (Spurs) it is a desperate shame for Tottenham Hotspur and the current group of players at the club that they have a manager who is great at lsquoman managementrsquo but has reached a grass ceiling and can take this team no further The manner in which he has techni-cally led such a disastrous disintegration of form and results at Spurs since the beginning of 2012 is shocking even though it is a repeat of what occurred in 2011 The buck stops at the manager when a bit of bad form turns into a malaise

Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) lsquoKing Kennyrsquo well this must be a very painful time for Liverpool fans After the belittling treatment they dished out to Roy Hodgson for not being lsquotheir manrsquo now they have their king at the helm but this has only proved particularly embarrassing in terms of dud transfers and mediocre presentations in the league Any other individual but their king would have been ditched months ago when it became clear that he was not going to cut it in the more modern game He should be spirited upstairs to resume ambassadorial duties We all have our time and Dalglishrsquos seems past

By Denson Pierre

The Gold RoomKings reigns and ignominious endings

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 89: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

SporTSporT 89

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

Page 90: The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 5 #10

CLASSIFIEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

90

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT