July 16, 2007
The Dutch union of poultry farmers (the NVP) wants to offer self-defense courses to its members as a response to the animal rights activitists’ training camp in Appelscha, Friesland. These animal rights activitists hold workhops in things such as how to arm themselves against police and the authorities. The NVP does not understand why these people are allowed to practice this activity in the Netherlands at all.
(Link: vleesmagazine.nl)
Tags: animal rights activitists, farmers, poulrty
June 24, 2007
Dutch monkey researcher Marc van Roosmalen faces 14 years in a Brazilian prison. He has been convicted of failing to apply for a licence for the monkey refuge at his home in the Amazon region of Brazil. Mr Van Roosmalen, hailed in 2000 by Time Magazine as a “hero for the planet”, is appealing against the sentence. Living and working for years in the Amazon, he has discovered several new species of monkey, one of which reminded him of Prince Bernhard. He named it “Callicebus Bernhardi” and five years ago he visited Soestdijk Palace to inform the now dearly departed prince in person.
Bert de Boer, director of Apenheul, a zoo and conservation organisation in Apeldoorn, Gelderland describes Mr Van Roosmalen as “A great conservationist.” He suspects that big companies have bribed the government to act against the vociferous biologist.
(Link: Radio Netherlands)
Tags: Marc van Roosmalen, monkeys, rain forest
June 22, 2007
Police in Nijmegen, Gelderland started catching bike thieves using a bike with a transmitter on it. Problem is, within two weeks the bike disappeared and problably ended up in the Waal river. The test using a second hand ‘bait’ bike with a GPS transmitter started at the end of May. Although they actually caught three bike thieves so far, the bike eventually disappeared and that is how the story ends.
(Link: De Pers)
Tags: Nijmegen
June 19, 2007
First passports, now driving licences.
The differences in price for a new driving licence are huge, according to a survey done by the Dutch ANWB automobile association. Prices ranges from EUR 21,90 to EUR 60. About 100 municipalities out of 443 were randomly selected. The ANWB finds these differences way too big and will try and remedy the situation by bugging the transport minister about it.
Some things to know:
– Smaller towns are cheaper than bigger ones
– From the five bigger Dutch cities, Eindhoven is the cheapest at EUR 30, while Amsterdam is EUR 49.
– And surprise, surprise, the prices on websites are not the same as the ones you actually pay.
(Link: zibb)
June 16, 2007
Yesterday Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen received an honorary Doctor of Common Laws degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. Cohen received this distinction because he was the first mayor to perform a same-sex marriage in 2001. He had presided over the necessary legislation only months earlier while serving in the Ministry of Justice. In 2005, Cohen was named one of Time Magazine’s European Heroes for his position on the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim extremist in November 2004. Cohen rallied the citizens of Amsterdam – Muslim and non-Muslim – to condemn the murder and called for unity and tolerance in the wake of the racial tensions that followed the incident. Led by Cohen, citizens of the traditionally liberal city protested in the streets in outrage over the attack and Cohen was credited with diffusing a situation ripe with racial and religious violence into one of dialogue and social progress.
(Link: rtl, University of Windsor)
June 14, 2007
In the new Maasziekenhuis (hospital) in Boxmeer, Noord-Brabant specially designed toilet bowls that separate urine from water have been installed in order to keep hormones and medication out of the Maas river. This also means that men have to pee sitting down, as the bowls are fitted with the usual flush mecanism, but have a hole on the inside to catch pee. Aiming is required.
This is the first time in the Netherlands that urine is treated this way.
(Link: Omroep Brabant)
Tags: boxmeer, environment, Noord-Brabant
June 12, 2007
According to a poll by Maurice de Hond for Pepsi Max, some 80% of Dutch people 40 or younger say they feel stuck in a rut. Stuck in a queue on the motorway, waiting, being sick and visiting in-laws are considered dull moments by the Dutch. Men get bored faster than women especially if there is nothing on telly. Sunday and Monday are the worst days of the week. One out of every four respondants is considering emigration. Women think about parachuting and bungee jumping, while men consider cheating on their partners (translation: sex is an issue). Reasons for being stuck in a rut? Lack of money (33%), no guts to change the situation (24%) and no time (11%).
Let the comments pour in, it was just a poll.
Tags: poll
June 11, 2007
Three unknown works by Dutch painter Piet Mondriaan were recently discovered at an appraisal in France. The oil paintings are not listed in the 1998 works catalogue.
The three paintings are ‘Hooimijt achter een rij bomen’ (‘Hay stack behind a row of trees’, seen here), ‘Irissen tegen een rode achtergrond’ (‘Irisses against a red background’) and ‘Boerenhoeve door bomen omringd’ (‘Farm house surrounded by trees’). The discovery was made by Amsterdam art dealer Dolf van Omme, who obtained the paintings through the heritage of a collector.
The authenticity of the works was confirmed by specialists. They are not signed, but then Mondriaan did not sign his paintings very often. Van Omme is selling one of the paintings for EUR 100,000, while the other two will be given back to the owner.
(Link: RTL, Photo: Dolf van Omme)
Tags: paintings, Piet Mondriaan
June 8, 2007
Camp Silver is a new campsite right in the middle of the Dutch island of Texel. It combines the outdoors with the service of a luxury hotel. Picture eight silver Airstream caravans, brought over from the United States and specially designed for Camp Silver by Christopher Deam of San Francisco together with Airstream. The inside features designs and materials by designers such as Charles & Ray Eames and Frette. The big dome tent in the middle of the campsite acts as a lounge and breakfast place. Speaking of breakfast, they strive to make it with local and island biological products. Retro futuristic cool!
(Link: persberichten.nl)
June 6, 2007
Dutchman Hans van den Hoek, better know as Daisy Dynamite, died yesterday at the age of 78 in Amsterdam. The transvestite and artist had a hit in 1973 with ‘Botch a me’. Van den Hoek started working in Paris in 1948 as a dancer. He first started out doing something akin to black face, but then went white again. Besides performing in cabarets and revues in several countries, Van den Hoek appeared in a few TV series and films, including Casanova by Frederico Fellini, together with Donald Sutherland.
(Link: A5)
Tags: Daisy Dynamite, dance
