This is worth a short note: from what I hear, the 1988 Oldsmobile of Trenholme Avenue that some of you know and may even love is now beginning its well-earned retirement. I wish it a good rest.

As for politics:

The elections results are in, and nobody seems to know who exactly will form the next government. No two parties are big enough to form a majority coalition. The best bets seems to be on the Christian Democratic CDA and the Labour Party (PvdA) forming a coalition with a third small party that is very very Christian. Others think that the Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, may have to include the the Socialists in the government, since they almost trippled their seat total. A symbol to the people that he got their message, in some way.

In any case, it's all been quite civilized. If you compare the campaign with Canada, I think that the Dutch brought forward less glamour and more content. And people here say that it used to be better. Plus, on the same night the election results were announced, the political party leaders took part in one final debate where they calmly discussed possibilities for working together in the future. I've never seen anything like it. Partly because of our system in Canada, I always feel that the losers go home to cry and the winners go to Ottawa to govern.