30 Oct '06 - 21:04 Dutch Red Pencil Crime Ring Uncovered
Bergen op Zoom - from our correspondent
Dutch Police carried out dawn raids at the homes of top-managers of the Bruynzeel-Sakura pencil-factory in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands. All managers are accused of fraud and malicious damage to Government property. Only today, news came out that over 35 Dutch districts have banned the use of voting-computers due grave security risks. Computers can be hacked and radio signals can be tracked. All these districts now need to switch back to paper and red pencil.
The Management of Bruynzeel-Sakura are being accused of tampering with, and hacking into, the voting-computers to manipulate them negatively and setting up a special website to further damage the image of those computers. All of this with the aim of supplying the Government with vast quantities of their new red pencil (colour code 31) once the voting-computers have been banned. The Management of Bruynzeel-Sakura were unavailable for comment due to them being in prison.
All the main Dutch political parties reacted shocked. Wouter Bos of Dutch Labour and Mark Rutte of the Dutch Liberals said they were going to sell their shares in the Bruynzeel-Sakura company "anyway" after the elections and their decision to do it now had nothing to do with the arrests made, whilst JP (Balkenende, PM) said his friend from Bruynzeel was an honest man and didn't deserve to be in prison and that the red pencils were really neat and he used them a lot for colouring-in stuff.
Femke Halsema of the Dutch Green Party said she always suspected the wood from the pencils came from Brazilian rain forests illegally and were harvested by slave labour and that the red colour came from their blood. Geert Wilders of his own Group meanwhile stated that the pencil crisis was the fault of Muslims and other foreigners trying to destabelise the superiour Dutch Nation. Exception to all the shocked reactions were the Dutch Socialist Party, who think that the use of the Red Pencil will be benificial to their campaign and makes a nice change to the tomato. All other political parties were too insignificant to ask.
More soon ...
29 Oct '06 - 20:06 Ons Kijkt Ons
19:49 Crofty Capital Of Holland
Tis ook nooit goed. Heeft de jeugd eindelijk eens interesse in z'n zwaar vak als scheikunde, mogen ze weer niet experimenteren. En experimenteren doen ze zeker. Vroeger, schrijf een week geleden, had ik nog nooit van croftybommen gehoord. Dwz, ik had ze wel gehoord, maar nog nooit van gehoord. Snapt u? Ik dacht dat ik gewoon in Iraq zat ofzo. Vond NL al aardig crimineel worden met al die explosies; BANG !!! Ruiten trillen, kopjes vallen van tafel ... maar tis gewoon de jeugd. En ook Doetinchem wordt zowaar genoemd. De VVV zal dankbaar zijn.
09:55 Da's Balen
Besef pas net dat de klok een uur achteruit is gegaan .... had nog een uur extra kunnen blijven liggen dus ...
28 Oct '06 - 20:25 Protect Our Youth
Sometimes you take a picture and you only notice a year later what the picture actually is. Because this looks like a potential drug-deal to me. Admittedly, it's on Haight Street, central-universe of hippiedom. I'm sure someone who knows a bit more about these things can tell me what that purple tube-thingy is. It could be chewing-gum, perhaps I shouldn't be so pre-judgemental ... then again, I took this picture just before the one featured. Somehow I can't imagine he stops for chewing gum ...
26 Oct '06 - 21:18 Democracy 'N Stuff
20:25 Funky Bike
25 Oct '06 - 21:19 Look On The Bright Side
At least CNN becomes a little bit more interesting to watch soon ...
And news just in: Hitler found in Iraq ...
And new news just in: Israel strikes back at Germany after 60-year wait ...
And CNN could become even more interesting to watch soon ...
Just as with rocket-technology, the Germans were first with Home Movies ...
Meanwhile in Holland:
A Great Blue Heron knocks down a guy on a bike ...
Free glasses for MP who in Parliament had no clue she was actually talking to the Minister who's presence she demanded ...
Dutch journalist takes the term 'embedded' a bit too seriously ...
Dutch Prince Willem Alexander wants more funds for lesbians ...
Dutch supermarket proudly announces that they will now kill animals for meat without anaesthetic ... something to do with halal.
The Dutch Warning Service warns, as it should, against the evils of the Internet ... (to my English-speaking readers: try and pronounce Waarschuwingsdienst - it will keep you amused and busy for hours).
Crofty Bombs are the new hype in Holland ...
And there you have it ...
23 Oct '06 - 18:17 Very Nice, How Much?
Tja, die Borat. Of Ali G of Sacha. Ik weet nog steeds niet of ik het echt leuk vind maar geinig is het zeker. Voornamelijk de simpele mediageile zielen die erin trappen. Ook de website is bijzonder in stijl. In Kazachstan zijn ze niet zo blij met 'em geloof ik en ik hoop maar dattie geen hitsquad op zich af krijgt ofzo. Ik denk eigenlijk dat ik Borat leuker vind dan Ali G, alhoewel ik het graag mocht zien dat dat rare rap-wereldje eens op de hak werd genomen. Ben eens benieuwd of 'ie ook echt naar Kazachstan gaat aangezien hij is uitgenodigd ...
17:56 Book Your Tickets Now !
Indiana Jones and the Last Walking Stick - out soon !!!
Book now to avoid disappointment.
22 Oct '06 - 18:09 Hey Buuv
Well, my neighbours were warned. Especially those who sit in front of a window 'unprotected'. I suppose all photographers are voyeurs of some kind and I'm certainly no exception.
15:02 Ooh, Dat Is Raar
Het blijft grappig om met een Engelse auto in Nederland te rijden. Vandaag bij het tankstation word ik weer aangesproken door een knulletje die eerst al heel vreemd zat te te staren. Of ik de auto had laten importeren als soort van style-statement. Sowieso vind ik de vele verwilderde blikken van mensen zeer komisch. Sommigen kijken echt alsof ze een UFO zien. Het feit dat ik in de Achterhoek rondrij zal dat nog wel extra versterken. Ik ben dus zeer blij dat ik m'n auto heb meegenomen, had dit voor geen goud willen missen.
21 Oct '06 - 20:16 Crosstown Traffic
19 Oct '06 - 18:29 Anyone A Tikker, Anyone ?
Push the button and get your free Tikker !
17 Oct '06 - 20:12 Lonely Planet
18:24 Dutch Lingo News
Good news for all English-speaking personal types who, for some weird and strange reason, want to know what's happening on Planet Netherlands. DutchNews.nl has launched and will keep you up-to-date and informed. Even the most important news in Holland today, which was even discussed in Dutch Parliament, they cover!
Lingo, a 7pm little quiz-show was due to be axed but has now been saved after a long row. Hurrah!
Dutch News, exiting isn't it?
16 Oct '06 - 17:01 No Surrender
Peter and I were walking down the Weteringschans when at first we didn't even notice this building. The two guys you see in the picture we not covered up and made some comments about us taking pictures. We didn't really took any notice and it was only when we crossed the street when we saw what we had passed. As we took out our cameras to take a picture they covered up and gave us a great pose. When we were done we gave them the all-clear sign and the masks were removed. And so anarchist and hobby photographer help eachother. Isn't the world beautiful?
UPDATE 17-10: They do actually surrender, the Police are clearing the buildings today.
15 Oct '06 - 19:49 Welcome To Holland
Parking your bike in Holland can be quite a problem due to the high bike-theft percentage, but if you are creative, you can always find a way to safely park your bike ... and find it back at the same spot or find it back at all .... if you looke closely, you can see the owner didn't even properly lock it! This is a Cardinal Sin in Holland - Thou Shalt Always Lock Yer Bike Properly. Thiefs will be insulted if you don't.
10:59 Achmea-ziekte
Werkgevers klagen wel eens dat werknemers tegenwoordig 'geen inzet en hart voor het bedrijf' meer hebben. Vind je het gek als je voor bedrijven moet werken zoals mijn ex-werkgever Achmea. Destijds bij het Zilveren Kruis was alles OK, toen Achmea tevoorschijn kwam als nieuwe eigenaar was het niets als reorganisaties en ontslagen. Lekker werken zo hoor.
We zijn nu 10 jaar verder en ze zijn nog steeds bezig. Spenderen leuk aan reclame en bodemprijzen zodat Sales en Management hun bonus halen, ten koste van een schamele 1200 levens/werknemers. En in de aanlooptijd van het nieuwe zorgstelsel natuurlijk nog even de werknemers opjagen vooral hard door te werken om de achterstanden weg te werken. Pure slavenhandel.
Nu het allemaal achter de rug is gooit opper-zwijn Jeroen van Breda Vriesman, een streberig broekie van 39, er even 1200 man uit. Hij zal vanavond wel weer naar de opera gaan met z'n vrinden. Staat ook fantastisch op z'n CV natuurlijk, zoiets moet gevierd worden.
Zolang dit soort mensen het in bedrijven voor het zeggen hebben zal het met de verharding van de samenleving nog wel even doorgaan. Bedrijven zijn geen sociale instellingen, maar deze vent maakt het wel heel bont. Ik hoop dattie ooit nog met een gebroken been in het ziekenhuis terecht komt waar een door hem ontslagen Achmea medewerker z'n been moet zetten.
09:07 In-Vespa'd
Having been away for a while does make you notice certain things. Amsterdam has now become a cross of an English/Irish city (pubs, 'English Football' signs and the English omnipresent everywhere - spot them by the football shirts or the pool of sick they're lying in - sorry but that is the truth) and any Italian City, because Vespa's rule the streets. But fortunately, also something very Dutch as the bakfiets has made a comeback it seems.
14 Oct '06 - 19:27 Krakers Feessie
Wat heb je nodig voor een krakers feessie? Geteld 17 politie wagens en toch zeker zo'n agentje of 30 .... oh ja, en een PRESS-card. Dat meisje met die hele grote lens mocht zo door. Mijn Menzis Zorgpas gaf helaas geen toegang ...
12 Oct '06 - 22:38 Breaking News
Shock horror. Someone has finally seen the light! Yes it is pretty awful there in Iraq and you're making it worse. Talk about stating the bleedin' obvious. You could have saved poor Brian 5 years or so on Parliamant Square ...
22:28 De Laatste Loodjes
Zo heel erg langzaam kan de normaliteit weer terugkeren na een vrij heftig jaartje vol ups en vooral downs. Mijn laatste grote verhuis-uitgave is gedaan en de bankrekening doet erg pijn. Daarentegen heb ik nu wel een vol ingerichte flat en zijn ze vandaag langs geweest om alle Engelse zenders te activeren opt sattelietje. Ook de luxe om boodschappen te kunnen doen in een Nederlandse supermarkt maakt me zeer vrolijk. Ik heb nu een paar dagen vrij om van e.e.a. te genieten en daarna hoop ik dat dit blog weer Business As Usual word.
09 Oct '06 - 18:57 Rumble in Kleve
Not quite Astrid Kirchherr-quality but I'm doing my best ... had to do a quick photoshoot as the gentlemen have a performance soon and posters need to be printed.
07 Oct '06 - 19:58 En Wel Hierom
Nu we het toch over TV hebben; Ik zie Paul de Leeuw op Nederland 1, Rick Felderhoff op Nederland 2 ... zometeen ga je me nog vertellen dat de Avro op Nederland 3 zit. Was er iemand dronken tijdens de zender-indelings vergadering?
17:18 Like A Blogger
I wouldn't be a blogger if I didn't show off my new appartment. The thing on the right indeed is a plant. And the fan is no luxury living on the fourth floor. Can be quite warm in here. But one of the cool things about the top-floor and large windows is that whilst lying on the couch (a quite regular occurance), you have a grand view of the sky ... like lying on the grass.
06 Oct '06 - 23:08 Go Digitaaaaaal
Having lived in England for a while really makes me realise how far behind we are in Holland when it comes to things like digital TV. Especially when you have just received your LCD-TV and watch digital in Holland now. Because I live in the east of Holland I had to get a sattellite-dish, because in Holland, it's just like in England where only London gets the goodies. In Holland, only de Randstad (Circle Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Utrecht) get the goodies. So no digital TV in my part of Holland.
Which is nice considering the fact the analogue signal will be switched off in December 2006. So us provincials have to get a dish. In England, I had an LCD, a central antenna, £30 Freeview and glorious digital TV. In Holland, I have an LCD, an expensive sattellite dish costing considerably more than £30 and mediocre digital TV. Not because of the sattellite or the TV; no. Dutch TV predominately broadcasts in 4:3 format. So you either have black bars on the side or if you use zoom, half your picture is gone. And you still have this analogue feeling to it. I mean, this is the country that refused to broadcast the World Cup in Widescreen "because too many people still have an old set" ... We are going digital and they still broadcast in 4:3 !! The BBC and ZDF broadcast the World Cup in HD!
The quality (pixels, sharpness, just general quality) doesn't even come close to what I was used to on my simple Freeview-box. It's like analogue with a digital cover. Some programmes are widescreen and OK, but channels like RTL 4, 5,7, Net 5 and Talpa only broadcast in 4:3 BUT also broadcast in a funny kind of 16:9 which gives you black bars on top and bottom. So on your LCD, you now get black bars on the side AND on top/bottom. And if you switch your LCD to 16:9 you still get an all stretched picture. So what on earth are they broadcasting in??? Again, zoom only does half the trick (literally).
It drives me mad. Fortunately, my sattellite dish has two heads. One for the Astra 1, giving me all the crappy Dutch stuff, and one for Astra 2. Astra 2 will give me all the goodies the BBC has to offer. BBC1, 2, 3, 4 ... all ITV's as well. But no Channel 4, have to figure that one out. Unfortunately I still can't receive it, because the sattellite-install-man had difficulty connecting it all up. But I will have it sometime next week. I can then see if it matches the picture I got with my simple £30 Freeview box ...
I got used to the idea not living in England anymore but this TV-thing is hard to swallow. Freeview where are you ????
04 Oct '06 - 20:43 Tipsch Van Minispace
Als je 4-hoog woont zonder lift is het wellicht verstandiger een ietwat kleiner bankstel te kopen. Het ding moest nu gesloopt worden om 't boven te krijgen en dat was niet het enige dat gesloopt was.
Volgende week weer een tip.
01 Oct '06 - 15:30 Streetwise
I think I photographed this lady two years before also ...
