October 4, 2007
In good Dutch finger pointing tradition, Stichting Wakker Dier warns us about eating non-politically correct space cake with eggs from laying battery chickens. To point the space cake eating crowd in the right direction, they have come up with a sticker to place on “chicken friendly” space cake, made with deep litter eggs (from chickens that do get to run around somewhat).
The coffee shops, Dutch for those places that sell weed and hash, are quite happy to oblige them.
(Link: rtl.nl)
Tags: Animal Day, chickens, drugs, space cake
October 3, 2007
Joy4You, a new restaurant for the poor, is opening its doors on Wednesday, 10 October in Utrecht. The poor can have a free meal on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Families as well as singles can eat there for free.
Everything is sponsored, as butchers, supermarkets and vegetable distributors provide them with food. People who want to eat at Joy4You must register with Stichting De Burcht-Armenzorg. Only after a meeting with this association can someone be eligible for a free meal.
But why an English dotcom name with negative connotations?
(Link: rtl.nl)
Tags: free food, poor, underpriviledged
September 29, 2007
How does that Dutch advert go, “but the answer is allllllways simple?” Two entrepreneurs from Roosendaal and Oudenbosch came up with a colour-coded first aid kit. The code list describes what stuff is used for what. Simple. For the photo of the real thing, follow the link.
The inventors Dick van ‘t Hoff and Ronald Cleijsen have asked for a patent on the idea. They have also found a manufacturer ready to go to the market with them. The ESE in Veldhoven (aka buyers) will be buying their first aid kits. I love a good business story.
(Link: Omroep Brabant)
Tags: first aid, innovation, invention
September 26, 2007
Totally fed up of seeing famous Dutch people (who nobody knows outside the country) ballroom dance, teenagers singing in English in the hopes of becoming American singers (they know what their chances are if they sing in Dutch) or cameras following backpackers in China trying to hitch a ride with no money? There’s something new coming up: Holland’s Next Dog Model. Look, the name is in English – again.
People are passé, dogs are the new people. The only creatures cuter are babies (debatable), and that would surely open a legal can of worms.
(Link: Spunk.nl)
Tags: dogs, reality TV, television
September 25, 2007
Sometimes, no news is good news. Actually, two days of Oktoberfest is just that: good news! Clear blue skies (see first picture), beautiful autumn sun, beer, dirndls (see beer-drinking woman) and lederhosen.
As a tourist in Munich at Oktoberfest – still going strong – I’d like to share the best tip I got: Go to the Wiesn (huuuuge fairground where Oktoberfest is held – it’s free, right downtown, easy access) BEFORE noon or earlier, especially with children. The lines to the rides are short and you can still walk around normally and get a seat in a beer tent (see other picture). No seat means no beer and no Oom-pa-pa music. And you need both!
(Photos: Orangemaster and Eric)
Tags: beer, Germany, Munich, Oktoberfest
September 21, 2007
This week, Texaco filling station ‘Nard Thijs’ in Bakel, Noord-Brabant started selling vibrators, kinky handcuffs, condoms and other sex toys. They are probably the only filling station in the Netherlands to do so. The vibrators are discretely wrapped and come in all shapes and sizes.
“Since the price of pertrol is going up again, it’s good to be creative as an entrepreneur.” Right on, dude.
Apparently, Texaco in the US is not amused. Prudes. Selling porno mags is fine, oddly enough. And last time I checked, condoms were not sex toys.
(Link: De Telegraaf)
Tags: filling station, sex toys, tank station, vibrators
September 20, 2007
Today, 15 ‘cool (male) farmers’ will be competing for a spot in the Stoere Boerenkalender 2008. People can vote on boerderij.nl for their favourite farmer boys (as we write this, that part of the site is having probs). The organisation hopes to provide a sequel to last year’s successful ‘farmer’s daughter’ calendar (Boerendochterkalender). The site will publish the calendar in November, which will also be sold on line.
(Link: De Pers)
Tags: farmers, photo calendar
September 18, 2007
The Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen has started an addiction study programme for doctors, the first specialised study option of its kind in the country. Some 18 general practitioners have been accepted and six more are on a waiting list. The addiction doctor study option is a two-year post-doctorate study. Institutions in the addiction care sector have pushed for this study. Some time next year, psychologists who work with addicts can specialise in addiction, as now many of them do not have the medical background to treat people with addictions to alcohol, drugs, medication and gambling.
(Link: De Gelderlander)
Tags: addiction, medicine, Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit, rehab, therapy
September 16, 2007
Today the official world record jumpstyle dancing was improved upon with 749 people dancing on the Coolsingel street downtown Rotterdam for five minuntes to the new hit single from the house duo, Jeckyll & Hyde. The Guinness Book of Records watched on and approved. Yet 60 participants couldn’t keep going for 5 minutes. Yes, it can be tough.
Follow this previous posting and have a look at the explanatory video on Jumpstyle.
(Link: nu.nl)
September 15, 2007
(Promotional video that lead up to the event)
Today the city of Breda, Brabant has broken the world record Mentos Geyser, according to the spokeswoman of the organiser, sweets manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle of Breda who makes Mentos. Some 850 participants on the Kasteelplein with their ready to blow cola bottles plonked their five Mentos sweets at 2:30 pm in their cola bottles. The result was a lot of four to five-meter high fountains. And voilà , the home of Mentos entered into the World Guinness Book of Records.
Thanks to the artistic group the Eepybirds, the Mentos Geyser has become very popular around the world. The Eepybirds were also in Breda for the joyous occasion.
(Link: omroep Brabant)
Tags: Breda, cola, experiments, Mentos
