Passive-Aggression in the Jordaan

IF YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE SOMETHING ON

The sign says “IF YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE SOMETHING ON “OUR” WOOD, COULD YOU PLEASE BE SO KIND AS TO WRITE SOMETHING WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND NOT A LOAD OF BULLS**T – THANKS”.

Found opposite the ice-cream parlour just off the Westerstraat. Why would someone bother to write this? And in English? For more see PassiveAggressiveNotes

An improvement to the Westergracht

Public works in the Westergracht 15 Sept 2008

I was cycling along the old Westergracht, wondering where all the parked cars where. Of course not there due to the men digging up the street and relaying the cobble stones.

But it looked good! It really opened up the space. It would be a great improvement if they banned the cars altogether from the middle of the Westergracht. Anyone from the gemeente reading?

Fun with Radiation!

Atomic Energy Lab - Erector Set

Like a Meccano set, but with radioactive samples (“completely harmless!”) and a Geiger counter (“find Uranium and get a reward from the US Government!”), the A C Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was sold to help the young boys of America to get to ahead in science.

I’m guessing early 50’s vintage – and the sort of kit I would have probably wanted. I was always one for electrical and electronic kits -which I think DID help my education, and a chemistry kit, which apart from making a few stinks, bending some glass tubes and growing some crystals, did not really help.

I can’t imagine such a kit of atomic fun being allowed to be sold today. Source: Science leads the way

On the look out for…

I’m looking for a clock for the office. A Solari Udine Cifra 12.
60’s vintage would be perfect.

Or a Solari Dator 5. Preferably 50’s vintage. The one below was sold on ebay for 110Eu. And if they go wrong I have lots of details on how to fix them.

Solari Dator 5

Conspiracy! The Hidden Story of the Weston Super Mare Pier Collapse!

Building 7 Weston Super Mare Pier was the third skyscraper first pier to be reduced to rubble on September 11, 2001 28 July 2008. According to the government, fires primarily, leveled this building, but fires have never before or since destroyed a steel skyscraper pier, (at least not since Brighton West Pier a few years ago).

The team that investigated the collapse were kept away from the crime scene. By the time they published their inconclusive report in May, 2002, the future, the evidence had been destroyed.

Why did the government rapidly recycle the steel from the largest and most mysterious engineering failure in world history of old victorian piers, and why has the media remained silent?

Halfway through the Piers plunge, streamers suggestive of demolition charges emerged from the facade.

The unexplained collapse of WTC Building 7 Weston Super Mare’s Pier is the tip of the iceberg of unexplored issues of the September 11th Credit Crunch attack.

Well, why not? It’s about as plausible as some of the other conspiracy bollocks doing the rounds out there…

Au-Pair Amsterdam 2008/2009

UPDATE 16 SEPT 2008: We have found an au-pair for 2008 thanks to the magic of blogging and Google. However, we’re looking for our next Au-Pair from summer 2009. So you can still contact us for next year!

We’re looking for a Danish au-pair to come and live with our family in the centre of Amsterdam 2008/2009… more details (in danish) on this post…

Au-pair Amsterdam 2008/2009 hos Dansk/Engelsk/Hollandsk familie

UPDATE 16 SEPT 2008: We have found an au-pair for 2008 thanks to the magic of blogging and Google. However, we’re looking for our next Au-Pair from summer 2009. So you can still contact us for next year!

Vi er en dansk/engelsk/hollandsk familie der søger en au pair som kan blive en del af vores familie og tage sig af vores søn Oscar på godt 1 år.

Vores hus er stort og ligger i Amsterdam lige ved siden af et kanal, med gode cykel og trafikforbindelser (tog, sporvogn og bus) og gå-afstand til centrum. På grund af det internationale miljø, der præger Amsterdam, er der mange muligheder for at få nye danske eller udenlandske venner. Der tales især hollandsk i byen, men det er også muligt at klare sig fint med engelsk.
Du skal kunne lide små børn, være moden og ansvarsbevidst, med lyst til at opleve noget nyt. Dine opgaver vil især gå ud på at tage dig af Oscar 2 dage om ugen, mens vi er på arbejde. Normalt vil du have aftener og weekender fri, men ind imellem vil vi bede dig passe Oscar en hverdagsaften eller et par timer i løbet af en weekend.

Du vil komme til at indgå i familiens dagligdag og daglige pligter, så som let oprydning og indkøb, vaske og stryge og let madlavning.
Du får rig mulighed for at praktisere og udvikle dit hollandske og engelske og vi vil gerne hjælpe dig i gang med et kursus på universitetet og andre sociale aktiviteter i Amsterdam.
Du skal være ikke-ryger og vaere fyldt 18 aar. Du vil få eget værelse med TV, telefon, internet og eget badeværelse ved siden af. Det ville være ideelt, hvis du kunne starte til oktober/november og blive hos os i ca. 1 år.
Vi glæder os til at høre fra dig.
Camilla og Adam Scholten-Dorrell

camilla.scholten@directness.net

Oscar’s Summer 2008 Video

Oscar’s Summer Video. Music: “Still fighting it” by Ben Folds.

Sun on the Westertoren

Westertoren, from the other side of the Prisengracht. Evening Sat 12 July 2008