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2020 Q1 | 2020 Q2 | 2020 Q3 | 2020 Q4 | 2021 Q1 | 2021 Q2 | 2021 Q3 | 2021 Q4 | 2022 Q1 | 2022 Q2 |
2019 Q4 | 2019 Q3 | 2019 Q2 | 2019 Q1 | 2018 Q4 | 2018 Q3 | 2018 Q2 | 2018 Q1 | 2017 Q4 | 2017 Q3 | 2017 Q2 | 2017 Q1 | 2016 Q4 | 2016 Q3 | 2016 Q2 | 2016 Q1 | 2015 Q4 | 2015 Q3 | 2015 Q2 | 2015 Q1 | 2014 Q4 | 2014 Q3 | 2014 Q2 | 2014 Q1 | 2013 Q4 | 2013 Q3 | 2013 Q2 | 2013 Q1 | 2012 Q4 | 2012 Q3 | 2012 Q2 | 2012 Q1 | 2011 Q4 | 2011 Q3 | 2011 Q2 | 2011 Q1 | 2010 Q4 | 2010 Q3 | 2010 Q2 | 2010 Q1 | 2009 Q4 | |
Welcome to my Blog! Anybody, providing he knows how to be amusing, has the right to
talk about himself. - Charles Baudelaire In 2013 I started a series of photo albums on Blurb.com, named '36Exp' (a subject adressed in 36 exposures, a reference to the exposures on most common rolls of 35 mm film: 12, 24 & 36.). The books can be ordered directly from the Blurb.com website. |
Following was sent to me by Michael Clayton, ending the year on a wry note (note that last listing, at the bottom!): The article refers to bookmaker Paddy Power, who said he headed the list with Monarch because he had received more than 100 bets in the last week that this airline will suffer the same fate as FlyGlobespan, which collapsed 2 weeks ago. Monarch, though, insists that there is no reason for passengers to worry. In early Sep.2008, Paddy Power stopped taking bets on XL Leisure after receiving over 200 bets in 24 hours that it would be the next airline to fail... [31DEC09]
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MY VIEW ON 2009
Internationally: Nationally: [30DEC09]
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THROUGH THE LENS National Geographic greatest photographers (published October 2003)
Bought this book recently, a veritable treasure trove of brilliant photography. ![]() www.nationalgeographic.com [26DEC09]
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SEASON'S GREETINGS!!!
Afrikaans ---- Geseende Kerfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar Albanian ---- Gézuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri! Amharic ---- Melkam Yelidet Beaal Arabic ---- I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida Aramaic ---- Edo bri'cho o rish d'shato brich'to! Armenian ---- Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand Aromunian ---- Crãciunu hãriosu shi unu anu nãu, bunu! Azeri ---- Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun Bahasa Malaysia ---- Selamat Hari Natal Basque ---- Zorionak eta Urte Berri On! Belorussian ---- Winshuyu sa Svyatkami i z Novym godam! Bengali ---- Shuvo Baro Din - Shuvo Nabo Barsho Bicolano ---- Maugmang Capascuhan asin Masaganang Ba gong Taon! Bohemian ---- Vesele Vanoce Brazilian ---- Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo Breton ---- Nedeleg laouen na bloav ezh mat Bulgarian ---- Vesela Koleda; Tchestita nova godina! Catalan ---- Bon nadal i feliç any nou! Cantonese ---- Seng Dan Fai Lok, Sang Nian Fai Lok Cebuano ---- Malipayong Pasko ug Bulahang Bagong Tuig! Choctaw ---- Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito Cornish ---- Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth Corsican ---- Bon Natale e Bon capu d' annu Cree ---- Mitho Makosi Kesikansi Creek ---- Afvcke Nettvcakorakko Croatian ----Sretan Bo i i sretna Nova godina Czech ---- Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok Danish ---- Glædelig Jul og godt nytår Duri ---- Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak Dutch ---- Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Egyptian ---- Colo sana wintom tiebeen English ---- Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Eskimo ---- Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo! Esperanto ---- Gajan Kristnaskon Estonian ---- Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi Head uut aastat Euskera ---- Zorionak eta Urte Berri On Faeroese ---- Gledhilig jól og eydnurikt nýggjár! Farsi ---- Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad Finnish ---- Hyvää Joulua or Hauskaa Joulua Flemish ---- Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar French ---- Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! Frisian ---- Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier! Friulian ---- Bon Nadâl e Bon An Gnûf Gaelic ---- Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ur! Galician ---- Bon Nadal e Bo Ani Novo German ---- Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! Greek ---- Kala Christougenna Kieftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos Greenlandic ---- Juullimi Ukiortaassamilu Pilluarit Hausa ---- Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara! Hawaiian ---- Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou Hebrew ---- Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shana Tova Hindi ---- Shub Naya Baras Hungarian ---- Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és boldog új évet! Iban ----Selamat Ari Krismas enggau Taun Baru Icelandic ---- Gleðileg Jól og Farsaelt Komandi ár! Ilocano ---- Naimbag a Pascua ken Naragsac nga Baro nga Tawen! Indonesian ---- Selamat Hari Natal Iraqi ---- Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah Irish ----Nollaig Shona Dhuit Italian ---- Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo Japanese ---- Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto Jèrriais ---- Bouan Noué et Bouanne Année Kadazan ----Kotobian Tadau Do Krimas om Toun Vagu Karelian ---- Rastawanke Sinun, Uvven Vuvenke Sinun Korean ---- Sung Tan Chuk Ha Krio ---- Appi Krismes en Appi Niu Yaa Kurdish ---- Seva piroz sahibe u sersala te piroz be Ladin ---- Bon Nadel y Bon Ann Nuef Lappic ---- Buorit Juovllat ja Buorre Oddajahki Latin ---- Natale hilare et Annum Nuovo! Latvian ---- Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu! Lausitzian ---- Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto Lithuanian ---- Linksmu Kaledu ir laimingu Nauju metu Livian ---- Riiemlizi Talspividi ja pagin vonno udaigastos Low Saxon ---- Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar Luxemburgish ---- Schéi Krëschtdeeg an e Schéint Néi Joer Macedonian ---- Streken Bozhik Malay ---- Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru Malayalam ---- Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal Maltese ---- Nixtieklek Milied tajjeb u is-sena t-tabja! Mandarin ---- Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan Manx ---- Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa Maori ---- Meri Kirihimete Marathi ---- Shub Naya Varsh Mongolian ---- Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye Monogasque ---- Festusu Natale e Bona ana noeva Netherland --- Prettige kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuw jaar Norwegian ---- God Jul og Godt Nyttår Occitan ---- Polit nadal e bona annada Oriya ---- Sukhamaya christmass ebang khusibhara naba barsa Pampamgo ---- Malugud Pascu at saca Masayang Bayung Banua! Papiamento ---- Bon Pasco y un Feliz Aña Nobo Papua New Guinea ---- Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu Pashto ---- De Christmas akhtar de bakhtawar au newai kal de mubarak sha Pennsylvania German ---- En frehlicher Grischtdaag unen hallich Nei Yaahr! Polish ---- Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku Portuguese ---- Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo Punjabi ---- Nave sal di mubaraka Pushto ---- Christmas Aao Ne----way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha Raeto----Ramance ---- Bella Festas da zNadal ed in Ventiravel Onn Nov Rapa----Nui ---- Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua Rhetian ---- Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn Romanche ---- Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn! Romani (GYPSY) ---- Bachtalo krecunu Thaj Bachtalo Nevo Bers Romanian ---- Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! Russian ---- Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom Sambal ---- Maligayang Pasko at Masayang Ba-yon Taon! Sami ---- Buorrit Juovllat Samoan ---- La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou Sardian ---- Felize Nadale e Bonu Cabuannu Sardinian ---- Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou Scots Gaelic ---- Nollaig chridheil huibh Serbian ---- Hristos se rodi Serb-Croatian ---- Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina Sicilian ---- Bon Natali e Prosperu Annu Novu ! Singhalese ---- Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa Sorbian ---- Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto Somali ---- ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican Slovakian ---- Vesele Vianoce a stastny novy rok Slovak ---- Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok Slovene ---- Vesele bozicne praznike in srecno novo leto Sorbian ---- Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto Spanish ---- Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo Surigaonon ---- Malipayon na pasko sanan bag-on tuig! Swahili ---- ºKrismas Njema Na Heri Za Mwaka Mpyaº Swedish ---- God Jul och Gott Nytt År Sudanese ---- Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal Tagalog ---- Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon Tamil ---- Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal Thai ---- Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai Tok Pisin ---- Meri Krismas & Hepi Nu Yia Tongan ---- Kilisimasi Fiefia & Ta'u fo'ou monu ia Trukeese ---- Neekirissimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech! Tswana ---- Keresemose o monate le masego a ngwaga o montsha Turkish ---- Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun Ukrainian ---- Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku! Urdu ---- Naya Saal Mubarak Ho Vepsi ---- Rastvoidenke i Udenke Vodenke Vietnamese ---- Chuc Mung Giang Sinh- Chuc Mung Tan Nien Waray- ---- Maupay nga Pasko ngan Mainuswagon nga Bago nga Tuig! Welsh ---- Nadolig LLawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Xhosa ---- Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi EmnandI Nonyaka Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo Namathamsanqa Yayeya ---- Krisema Yiddish ---- Gute Vaynakhtn un a Gut Nay Yor Yoruba ---- E ku odun, e hu iye' dun! Zulu ---- Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo ![]() 25DEC09
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THE DUTCH AND THEIR HEALTHCARE By now we of the Lowlands have become accustomed to long waiting lists for any serious surgery, even in life threatening situations such when as diagnosed with an aneurism. One may have to wait 6 months or more. Insurance companies cover certain medical bills if people go abroad (Turkey, Thailand) for treatment. Patients are sometimes given up on because surgery would be too life-threatening, even if their condition is without hope for survival without surgery. People go to Belgium and Germany for a second opinion and find help there. My father underwent surgery in 1997 and almost died 3 times during his 4 months stay: an incorrect diet during recovery from surgery ruptured his gall bladder and he was rushed to intensive care again for immediate surgery. Later Intensive Care became infected by a bacteria and this settled in the wound - his condition worsened and we were called to the hospital during Christmas: he was given up on. But the tough bugger hung on to life and steadily improved. Only days before he was going to be discharged, my father started choking and pressed the alarmbutton: no one appeared. The person next to him was unable to walk or call out, but threw his bedpan in the corridor! This brought a nurse to my father's bed and she was able to attend to him. The explanation why no one showed up initially: 'we were in a meeting and people call us all the time, if we don't ignore some of them we never get a chance to hold a meeting!' My father was discharged and lived another 11 years, which wouldn't have been possible without expertise medical help. But capacity is thin on the ground in the Dutch hospitals and you'll have to take your chances. This week a colleague told me he had to take his wife to hospital after she fell and hurt her hand & wrist. He went to First Aid at the nearest hospital and was told the waiting time for an x-ray and treatment was 7 hours! This is after we've had 2 days of snow in the Netherlands... She took some heavy painkillers and they went home, properly disgusted. Probably the worse thing is that the government, and higher echelon of our health services, hold on to the opinion that our health service is of an excellent standard and they actually look down on countries where we have to go to for treatment!!! ![]() 24DEC09
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REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT
21DEC09
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A DAY TO CELEBRATE: December 17th
Congratulations Alexander, Frank, Hein...Jeff Rankin-Lowe provided a list showing what Dec.17th meant in aviation:
17 December 1903
17 December 1917
17 December 1918
17 December 1935
17 December 1943
17 December 1944
17 December 1948
17 December 1950
17 December 1951
17 December 1969
17 December 1971
17 December 1981
17 December 1985
17 December 1993
17 December 2003 18DEC09
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CHEEKY BUGGER!
I don't mind its visit, but rather see it getting its meal from the many waterways in the area. 17DEC09
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TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
The above is an abbreviated version of the full-page article in Time magazine. [15DEC09] |
A few years ago I saw and heard a talented singer/songwriter play at a festival in Holland. Bought his cd 'Tuscola' and was hooked... Meanwhile he has released other cd's, but here I would like to draw attention to his blog: THE RAIN & THE RAIL 'paintings, poems, musings and more from singer-songwriter Nathan Hamilton.' I would like to reproduce something he posted on his blog last month: A Hidden Framei'm not convinced [07DEC09]
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![]() In reference to below, here is a website reader from far & beyond: West Siberia! Oleg, who made these photos last september and more recently, wrote: "I'm working for Shell on their West Siberian project, Salym Petroleum Development. West Salym Oilfield, CPF camp: N60deg 17'29", E070deg 53'51" - www.salympetroleum.ru. Rather civilized place these days, although it used to be quite a middle-of-nothing when we came here 6 years ago (Google Earth and Google Maps are still showing only taiga here, as it used to be in 2004). Well, taiga and swamps, bears and elks, lots of snow and very cold - it's all still here, and to illustrate my point I just walked outside and took a picture of our outside temperature display for drivers... a fox was sitting outside of the front porch, waiting for somebody to feed it). Inside - it's somewhat different now. We've got a well-established and developed field with lot of process and infrastructure facilities, including quite comfy accommodations as well." [04DEC09]
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I am amazed by the amount of visitors each months to my website and it is wonderful to see where they all are!
[02DEC09]
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AIRPORT BOSS EXECUTED
On 07Aug09 the former head of the company that owns Beijing Capital Int'l
Airport was executed! [30NOV09]
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www.biographybase.com [26NOV09]
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Although my first SLR camera was a camera manufactured in East Germany, an Exakta VX500, for me photography started in earnest with an Olympus OM-1, in 1976.
[23Nov09]
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Superlatives are lacking to satisfactorily describe the pollution that is floating in stream, lakes, seas & oceans. And the effects is has on birds and fish. THE TRASH VORTEX (www.greenpeace.org) [DATE]
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PROGRESS IN SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUELS Qatar Airways has operated the world’s first commercial passenger flight powered by fuel made of natural gas. Flight QR076 from London-Gatwick to Doha was performed by Airbus A340-600 A7-AGC on 12Oct09. [17NOV09]
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Eddie Izzard, the talented standup comedian and actor, played the Heineken Musical Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands last night. Tremendous show. How does one play huge halls by his lonesome, he must have thought.. Well, by projecting himself giant-like on the huge decor! Left and right were close ups, so we did not miss any of his mimicking. Before the show and during the break these screens showed 'the tweets' sent to Eddie, very entertaining! Well done, yeah.... great show! ![]() Izzard's style is heavily influenced by Monty Python, especially in his use of a stream-of-consciousness delivery that jumps between topics as he free associates on stage. He does not generally work from a script, owing to his dyslexia. In fact he adresses dyslexia in his show, pleading to change the name into something simpler (for someone who suffers from dyslexia), name it e.g. 'bonk'. It is funnier when he does it! ![]() During this show he follows evolution, from dinosaurs, tools in the Stone Age, people learning to talk and why, Noah's Ark, farming, 1066 the Battle of Hastings, the Bayeux Tapestry (early frontline journalism) and the Battle of Thermopylae (2nd Persian invasion of Greece)... and his characters such as the Raptor (grrr...) and the Jazz Chicken reappear during the show. Trust Eddie to present this with his personal touch and feel for the absurd, Monthy Python-like, humor.! Weird beyond our visible bounderies of weirdness. He frequently notes the reaction to a joke midstream by miming writing on his hand ("should be funnier" or "lost them there"), asks the audience questions, and verbally engages with hecklers. On 18 March 2007, Izzard was listed as number 3 of the 100 Greatest British National Comedians (just behind Peter Kay at number 2 and Billy Connolly at number 1) as part of British television station Channel 4's ongoing 100 Greatest... series. "I just talk complete bullshit. The history, the politics, I noticed that no one was using history, so there's a lot of history lying about the place, and it's all free, and it's on Wikipedia! You know, I use Wikipedia like a crazy idiot, now. Then I take all this stuff, and I regurgitate it into a weird angle". Eddie himself is also on Wikipedia [15Nov09]
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Johnny Winter, the Blues musician and legend, played in Haarlem's Patronaat, in the Netherlands.
John Dawson 'Johnny' Winter III was born on 23Feb1944, so that would make him 64 when he played the Patronaat on 11Nov09. Many a musician with the life-style to match did not last that long. And Johnny shows the toll of hard living (read he was a heroin user at some point) too. He played a mean gig here, powerful stuff. While his voice had surprising power, I think (to my taste at least) the guitars overpowered his singing. But what rythme this man played, he played that guitar at hispeed, none of that laidback stuff. Good gig. en.wikipedia.org www.johnnywinter.net [14Nov09]
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www.kb.nl/dossiers/sintmaarten/sintmaarten.html DUTCH
13Nov09
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Came across something that got my attention... quote /. http://discarted.wordpress.com/ "We are photographers & concerned citizens living in Los Angeles. / With the goal to shoot photographs freely in public spaces wherever, whenever, of whoever. / And a desire to get the word out, educate and engage. "
"Cause-
Initially, I was
outraged (confirming my fears for US Law Enforcement, having been interrogated in similar fashion in 2005) about this event and applauded this being put out in the open. [11Nov09]
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What do I know of global warning? Nothing much, except
that in the history of Mother Earth it has happened before. It cooled down too. Up and Down. Much ado about what to do about it. Solar activity by that large lightbulb in the sky, and active volcanoes, effect our atmosphere far more than cars do. Cows make up a quarter of the world's pollution through their belching and farting. Brazil has a cattle herd of 200 million. Where to begin?
[10NOV09]
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![]() I stumbled on the 2nd edition of this masterful product: The year 2008 in photos by Reuter's photographers. Last year I had also bought the no.1 edition, but had forgotten to keep track of it possibly becoming a tradition. Am glad that they have done just that. Engaging, often moving, photography of major events. And a rightful tribute to these news photographers. [09Nov09]
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'At the top of the hill he turned and studied the town. THE ROAD, by Cormac McCarthy
Incredible but true: they made a film of this book... It is titled 'The Waste Land'. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron. Intend to see it. [06Nov09]
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![]() More can be read on my 'traveloque' : Autumn Leaves, Canada 2009. [01Nov09]
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The following was written by Mark Twain as an Afterword (in a book called A
PEN WARMED-UP IN HELL), and titled 'The Whole Human Race' (1907). I found it rather fitting to open my Blog with this, now used as a Foreword... 'I have not read Nietzsche or Ibsen, nor any other philosopher, and have not needed to do it, and have not desired to do it; I have gone to the fountainhead for information-that is to say, to the human race. Every man is in his own person the whole human race, with not a detail lacking. I am the whole human race without a detail lacking; I have studied the human race with diligence and strong interest all these years in my own person; in myself I find in big or little proportion every quality and every defect that is findable in the mass of the race. I knew I should not find in any philosophy a single thought which had not passed through my own head, not a single thought which had not passed through the heads of millions and millions of men before I was born; I knew I should not find a single original thought in any philosophy, and I knew I could not furnish one to the world myself, if I had five centuries to invent it in.
Nietzsche published his book, and was at once pronounced crazy by the world
- by a world which included tens of thousands of bright, sane men who
believed exactly as Nietzsche believed, but concealed the fact, and scoffed
at Nietzsche. What a coward every man is! and how surely he will find it
out if he will just let other people alone and sit down and examine
himself. The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in
that procession but carrying a banner.' [29Oct09]
Henry Young offered the following Mark Tain quote, also an apt 'lesson in life': |