I think Maisons du Monde is all just so...Fake. Go to a flea market and find yourself deco items with real personality!

It depends on the country. The Dutch are big online shoppers, and this has caused whole chains to fall over in the last decade, leaving shopping streets strangely empty. But if we go to Belgium, people still mostly shop in stores and none of this appears to have happened. It is very strange.

I think what also plays a role in this- when I was a kid America was a cool brand. It represented freedom, the future, an escape from stiff old values.

I agree with that, mostly. “Expensive” at H&M is still pretty affordable. If it caries a LOGG label it is a very safe buy. But I usually get pretty lucky with my impulse buys there.

We had Forever 21 here in Antwerp, Belgium. They first opened a store in Brussels- it suffered a fire and never re-opened. This Antwerp store was huge. 5000 shiny square meters at a top location. The first day it opened the town was filled with people carrying yellow shopping bags. But after that...I went looking for…

All aboard the kofschip!

I hated the second half too back in the day. Needy chick does funny fish out of water thing, meets cute French guy, it does not work out at first, then she meets him again, realizes he is her one true love, gives up everything to marry him. Oh wait, she decides not to marry him.

It seems odd that nobody has figured out the origin of Katy Perry’s  headgear. It’s apparently based on the “oorijzer” an item of jewellery worn with Dutch traditional costume.

He is usually not naked which is a blessing.

New York, or rather New Amsterdam would have been under Dutch rule at that time. I’ve talked to my friends in The Hague- We’re not really sure if we want the place back, but if mr. Trump insists...

Well this bit I’ve always liked (as an Atheist!) and it’s pretty steamy too.

This flying alarm clock already pretty much exists. No bug poison involved, but you might want some after waking up to this.

I don’t shop there. You can smell them from quite a distance without  entering the building. I think that’s excessive.

I don’t shop there. You can smell them from quite a distance without  entering the building. I think that’s…

Yep. I’m Dutch and I’ve actually never used the stuff and I don’t plan to start. I was amused by this pot cheese existing- but I did not sample or buy it. I got the lavender cheese instead! It was crazy! And blue, very!

I was in Gouda yesterday. The city of Gouda. There’s a shop there that sells marijuana  cheese.

Galler is a supermarket brand that you can buy at a gas station. I’m not a big fan of the fillings they put into their bars, but at least it’s real chocolate

I found these for sale in Belgium where I live and I bought a pack to see what the fuss is about. I can see how the peanut/chocolate could work, and be interesting with the contrasting mouthfeel and all.

I hope Spicer stays on for a while because he exposes how obviously completely incompetent his government is and it’s kind of amusing. He is very effective in damaging the brand. He is almost as good as Baghdad Bob. he’s like this show:

My solution is to buy a vintage bike, and then properly maintain it. Not one of the fashionable ones, just a servicable old bike with a steel frame. No bike is maintenance free when you cycle a lot; tires, brakes will always need to be replaced. Buy something that is not fashionable and light, a good steel frame with…

It’s the sadness of it, the desperation...The constant need of approval. He has to have his name on everything- and now he has it on the United States.