So, that was Exodus V, and it was a succes. The two hour drive to and from was a bit long, but everything else went pretty well. I had a large 'spelkot' as my domain, with cubicles built from matrasses for different categories of stuff. NPC's were really cooperative and even cleaned the bathroom after removing their make-up (paint), something that can not be said for a lot of larpers. Players brought really beautiful props with them and had some crazy initiatives.

Of course there were some stress moments. For example the scene with Rene on stilts as a Soulshaper, for which he had to get up on those stilts in time, but not too early because that would tire him too much. And, as always, the breaking down and cleaning up. Somehow all stuff only just fitted into the wagons and cars. We were home at 22:15 (had dinner at Burger King along the freeway).

Something entirely different: the American elections.
Normally I don't watch or read the news. I only get depressed by all the nasty things that we humans do to each other and our environment. So I choose to do things I like, instead of reading depressing news.

Yesterday, however, I went to Amsterdam again for work and in the train I picked up one of those free newspapers. I read a piece about loverboys and gangs that force girls into prostitution and then came on to a two page article about the elections. Apparently one of the candidates (Obama, which sounds too much like Osama (bin Laden) if you ask me) seems to have spent about 4 million on an half hour commercial. And the article read that a large part of the population of America, mostly black people, can not get an ID because they don't have the money and procedure is too complex. So a lot of people are not allowed to vote, because they don't have enough money for an ID. While some guy just spends 4 million on a commercial...

I'm not the only one saying this, but the elections in America are way too much of a circus. There's fraud with the voting, way too much money gets spend on making the candidates look nice and friendly while they are blabbering about stuff and not really telling the people what they actually would do for them. Mostly lies. (A test result shows that a lot of Obama supporters don't even know what Obama stands for)

Why would anybody even want to rule America as president? Think of all the nasty choices you have to make, think of the responsibility, you are the face of America to the world (at least try to look intelligent...). Why would you want such a job? To make things better? To help your people get a better life and equal rights and stuff? Then stop spending money on commercials, balloons, press conferences in which you talk too much but say nothing, and start doing some actual things!

I am glad that here in the Netherlands we don't have such an election circus. Here, the circus starts after the people are chosen...