November 17, 2007

Belgian Robin Hood ‘robs’ Dutch chain store

Filed under: General,Weird by Orangemaster @ 11:58 am
blokker1.jpg

Belgian Norbert Verswijver went to the Dutch chain store Blokker in Merksem near Antwerpen with a bag full of discount vouchers. He was smart enough to notice that the vouchers did not have the usual “cannot be combined with other promotions” disclaimer. Basically, Blokker made a huge mistake.

“For example, I buy a television set with a 20% off voucher. For the remaining amount, I use another one until the price is EUR 0.” The man even checked his assumptions beforehand with authorities in the matter and brought along a bailiff.

He scored EUR 48,511 in televisions, CD burners and what have you, and paid a mere EUR 0,60. The woman who owned the stored tried to block the sale, and called the CEO to tell him what was going on. Later, Mr Verswijver called the CEO to tell him his side of the story. ”I totally understand this woman at the shop. I hope that they will deliver the goods because if they don’t, I will take them to court and probably win.

Mr Verswijver is planning other such moves and calls himself a modern-day Robin Hood because he shares his booty with others.

(Link: fok.nl, Photo: Blokker in Enschede, The Netherlands)

Tags: , ,

November 15, 2007

Flowers change colour if you ring them up

Filed under: Art by Orangemaster @ 5:01 pm

In Delft, South Holland, people can call a free mobile phone number and potted geraniums somewhere downtown will change colour. Artist Leonard van Munster has placed 10 bunches of potted geraniums at the request of the Technical University of Delft. Van Munster is known to combine his art with the technical possibilities of the mobile phone. Delft’s public library has an ape orchestra by Van Munster. Visitors can call the apes at at free mobile number upon which the orchestra plays a fragment by classical composer Francisco Tárrega from the 19th century, whose music is now known around the world as the Nokia tune.

(Link and photo: ad.nl)

Tags: , , ,

November 13, 2007

Non refundable gift membership

Filed under: General by Orangemaster @ 5:00 am
box.jpg

I don’t dare get into Dutch politics because they’re nuttier than a nut farm, but when a political party gets into gift giving so close to Sinterklaas and Christmas, it’s time to crack some nuts.

Democratic political party D66 wants to give free memberships as gifts to attract new members. Party members can give memberships as gift certificates to acquaintances, friends and familiy (the only people that will listen to them). This madness will be launched at the party congress in Nijmegen this Saturday.

The gift certificate costs EUR 15, whereas a membership usually costs about EUR 30. So it’s a bargain apparently. If you don’t like your gift, you can’t get your money back and probably won’t be invited to cool parties in the future.

The D66 slogan read “Finally you’re a D66er” and the gift certificate comes in a festive packaging.

bisnis.nl

Tags: , , ,

November 8, 2007

Des Bouvrie designs a mobile chalet

Filed under: Design by Orangemaster @ 11:01 am

While the Dutch government is again trying to see if reclaiming land from the North Sea is possible in order to create some space in this densely populated if not overcrowded country, Dutch designer Jan des Bouvrie thinks everyone should have a second home that will run you almost half of a first one, which about 50% of the population cannot even afford.

Des Bouvrie has developed a mobile home that really looks like the Dutch design version of a chalet. It has lots of room, much light and a balance between inside and outside, architecture and interior. And then everything is bright white because then it wouldn’t be Jan des Bouvrie. I can’t picture kids playing outside coming inside and touching anything. The going price starts at EUR 115,000.

I would still go with an Airstream and I do not like the idea of any space looking like a mental institution, no matter how much space I get.

(Link: Telegraaf)

Tags: , ,

November 7, 2007

From illegal cleaning lady to photographer

Filed under: Film,Photography by Orangemaster @ 8:00 am
broom1.jpg

Suzanne Raes has made a documentary about Hristina Tasheva, a Bulgarian woman who spent years cleaning people’s houses in Amsterdam illegally. Since Bulgaria joined the European Union in January 2007, Hristina can now live a more normal life as a photographer. But back then, she took pictures of the houses she cleaned. (This is not one of them!)

The documentary is called “The Houses of Hristina”. Her pictures provide an interesting look at the private lives of ‘average’ Amsterdam residents who live in those nice big houses on canals with high windows, wooden floors and primitive art on the walls.

The film will premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) 2007, held from November 22 to 2 December in Amsterdam and will be shown on TV in 2008.

(Link: wereldjournalisten.nl)

Tags: , , ,

November 6, 2007

Pink cab trend hits Tilburg

Filed under: Automobiles,Dutch first by Orangemaster @ 3:24 pm
pink-cab1.jpg

Women in and around the city of Tilburg, Noord-Brabant will soon be able to travel in special women’s taxis, it was announced today. The new company, which will operate on the same fare structure as regular cabs, has been founded by local businesswoman Tanja Schollen, who heads the cental station taxi company in Tilburg. The company employs only female drivers and caters exclusively to female clients. The taxi company, called the ‘Pink Lady Cab’, will initially operate with two cars, each of which will have pink roofs. They will work during the day and on weekend nights. “Female customers often indicate they feel safer with a female driver,” Schollen told reporters, “we also expect a lot of clients who for religious reasons prefer not to sit in a car with a strange man.” Female taxi companies have proven to be successful in several major cities in Europe and the Middle East, including London and Dubai.

So I guess after two years in London, trying it out in the Netherlands is a safe bet. Too bad no one has the brains or guts to do this in Amsterdam.

Here is more info over London’s Pink Ladies from 2005.

(Link: earthtimes.org, Photo: Pink Ladies, London)

Tags: , , ,

November 5, 2007

Wake up to your iPod

Filed under: Design,Gadgets by Orangemaster @ 5:26 pm
boynq1.jpg

The Dutch company Boynq has designed a new speaker called Wake Up for iPods (and apparently iPhones), which can be used as alarm clocks. The Wake Up can also recharge your iPod and iPhone. They claim to be “compatible with all new iPods and iPhones,” while the manual says “iPhones after January 1st” (no year mentioned). No price is mentioned and boy what a bunch of spelling mistakes in the manual. Sure looks pretty though.

(Link: gizmodo)

Tags: , ,

November 4, 2007

36 blind people to drive cars

Filed under: Automobiles by Orangemaster @ 12:30 pm

cane1.jpg

On Friday, 16 November a group of 36 blind and sight-impaired will test drive cars at the racing circuit in Assen. Under the supervision of driving school instructors, the blind will learn all about driving cars. “Some people became blind later in life and want to have a go at driving a car. Other people believe it is a chance to fulfil a dream of having control over a car and get a feel for driving,” according to a spokesperson.

On the world famous car show Top Gear, a man called Billy Baxter, a British soldier who lost his sight after contracting a rare disease in Bosnia, sent a letter to the show and said he could drive round the track faster than this one guy with sight who wasn’t very good at it.

(Link: rtl.nl)

Tags: , , , ,

November 2, 2007

Boomski avoided

Filed under: Science,Weird by Orangemaster @ 12:13 pm
dynamite1.jpg

A Czech delivery lorry carrying 500 kilos of explosives was found parked along motorway A13 near Delft. The story goes that the Czech driver was to deliver the explosives to the TNO, part of the Technical University of Delft, lost his way and asked the police for directions. The police gave him a fine as he did not have the right papers to transport explosives to the Netherlands.

So no GPS in the lorry, no proper road map I assume and no transport papers… aren’t we happy he wasn’t a terrorist.

(Link: Telegraaf)

Tags: , ,

October 30, 2007

Big mouth to ashes

Filed under: Dutch first,General by Orangemaster @ 11:51 am
bushalte.jpg

You could just blame it on semantics, but you could also agree that by calling your product “indestructible” (Superman comes to mind), they were asking for it. A Dutch businesswoman once said that when the Dutch claim their product to be something, you have to multiply it by three to get its real value. This time, it applies much more to the after-the-fact, save-your-derriere comment.

The municipality of Binnenmaas was very proud of their new ‘vandal-proof’, bus shelters until a group of badazz firestarters burnt all of them down in Maasdam, South Holland. The manufacturer’s comment after the fact was “but anything can be destroyed”. Got Kryptonite?

Follow the link for a nicely framed picture of the ashes.

(Link: nieuwnieuws.nl)

Tags: ,