Welcome to my Blog!
I hope to share here my irrepressible thoughts on news, music, books, arts and such like. In general these will be items, events and issues which I feel have no place on my website (which focusses on aviation history and my travel photography).

The item immediately below this would be the latest posting.

Anybody, providing he knows how to be amusing, has the right to talk about himself. - Charles Baudelaire
Esse est percipi (To be is to be perceived) - Bishop George Berkeley

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.
http://www.blurb.com/user/ruudleeuw

CURRENT BLOG

Ola Dubh is a Harviestoun ale, and presented to me in a box not dissimilar to expensive whisky brands; well, it is aged in whisky casks and the taste (and punch!) shows it! Great taste, great present!

From the box:
" Ola Dubh (or 'Black Oil') is so named because it is gloopy and viscous. This ale is the result of a unique collaboration between Scotland's most innovative micro-brewery and the world's most respected single malt.
This limited release has been aged in selected Oak Casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 40 Year Old Single Malt Whisky.
A lifetime in the making, the whisky has been described by Dave Broom in Whisky Magazine as 'stunningly great'.
The casks add complementary whisky notes to what is already a brew of remarkable complexity; it is redolent of chocolate and has a distinctive roasty, bittersweet finish.
Every botle of Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40 Year Old is individually numbered."

The website is great too: http://www.harviestoun.com/OlaDubh/

Ever since China sparked my interest during the 1980s, I find occasion to read or explore something on the subject, in whatever form. The 'Rechter (=Judge or Magistrate) Tie Mysteries' by Robert van Gulik offer an easy insight in China in historic times.

The titles from Dutchman van Gulik have been translated also in English; the name of the magistrate changed to Judge Dee.

Judge Dee (also, Judge Di) is the eponymous protagonist of Robert van Gulik's series of detective novels. The series is set in Tang Dynasty China and deals with various criminal cases solved by the upright Judge Dee (judges often play the investigator role in ancient Chinese crime stories).
The Judge Dee character is based on the historical figure Di Renjie (c. 630–c. 700), magistrate and statesman of the Tang court. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) in China, a 'folk novel' was written set in former times, but filled with anachronisms.
Van Gulik found in the 18th century Di Gong An an original tale dealing with three cases simultaneously, and, which was unusual among Chinese mystery tales, a plot that for the most part lacked an overbearing supernatural element which could alienate Western readers. He translated it into English and had it published under the title Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee.
This gave van Gulik the idea of writing his own novels, set with the similar Ming anachronisms, but using the historical character. Van Gulik was careful in writing the main novels to deal with cases where Dee was newly appointed to a city, thereby isolating him from the existing lifestyle and enabling him to maintain an objective role in the books.
Van Gulik's novels and stories made no direct reference to the original Chinese work and so Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee is not considered to be part of the Judge Dee series.
Van Gulik also wrote series of newspaper comics about Judge Dee in 1964-1967, adding up to a total of 19 adventures. The first 4 were regular balloon strips, but the later 15 had the more typically Dutch textblock under the pictures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dee

Robert Hans van Gulik was born in 1910, in Zutphen,Netherlands and spent most of his youth in the Dutch East-Indies.
Later he studied several Asian languages, became a diplomat, indulged in scientific research and found himself a literary talent.
He passed away in 1967, in The Hague,Netherlands.

About this particular book:
Mien-Yuan is a small, historic town west of the Chinese captial. Mountains call for an isolated existence. The town is situated next to a mysterious lake, stories of people disappearing without a trace go hand in hand with appearances of ghosts.
Rechter Tie / Judge Dee find himself assigned to Mien-Yuan and becomes himself involved in the murder of a courtisan; the girl tried to warn him about a conspiracy but is killed and floating in the lake before she can meet the Judge.

Like the other books I have of Rechter Tie, this book also has a foreword and epilogue by Janwillem van de Wetering, explaining the historic context and customs of this book in relation to medieval China. Such as the rotational assignments (mostly every 3 years) of the magistrates and the fact that he brings his staff with him to his next assignment.
The magistrate enforces the law, sees to it that interest of government and administration is upheld but is also the detective in solving crime - his helpers do legwork, offer moral suport, enforce the law, arrest people but the judge does the brainwork.

Came across the music of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks on the Eric Claptaon 'Crossroads' dvd's and their music was a highlight for me. This CD, 'Revelator', hits the spot!
Susan Tedeschi has a voice that is made for their blues music, both feminine and masculine at the same time. Derek Trucks is a phenomenon on the guitar.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band, formerly known as the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band is a blues rock group based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 2010, the band is led by husband-and-wife musicians Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, and primarily features members from their respective solo groups. The core lineup is Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, Tyler Greenwell, J.J. Johnson, Mike Mattison and Nigel Hall.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tedeschi_Trucks_Band
www.derekandsusan.net

I thought this Dutch cartoon rather striking, detailing how are identities are read and stored, unerasable, somewhere floating around in cyberspace, looming ominous, available for use and abuse, all there our likes, dislikes, everything.
But there is no turning back, we don't want to go back to the big stationary phones , music on LP vinyl, knowledge only available in print, porn in magazines, mail delivered only once or twice a day to our doors... We don't want that, do we? And what would we have to hide?

By Pieter Geenen ('Het Leven') in Vrij Nederland 10Sep2011.

Åke Edwardson (born March 10, 1953 in Eksjö, Småland) is a Swedish author of detective fiction, and was previously a lecturer in journalism at Gothenburg University, the city where many of his Inspector Winter novels are set.
Edwardson has had many jobs, including as a journalist and press officer for the United Nations, and his crime novels have made him a three-time winner of the Swedish Crime Writers' Academy Award for best crime novel.
His first novel to be translated into English, in 2005, was Sun and Shadow. The second, Never End, followed in 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ake Edwardson
http://akeedwardson.com/

This 4-dvd box contains the stories of 4 most recent Inspector Erik Winter stories.
We see 'Komissar Erik' at work in Göteborg, he and his team see issues adressed such as rightwing extremists versus muslims in a murder mystery, a cold case reopened which is almost fatal for Erik, a teammember lost while hunting down a murderer and someone stalking Erik's family.
Erik is successful in his work but he often follows his instinct,s leaving his team behind somewhat bewildered. Bounderies are crossed when his family become involved in his crime fighting and this causes doubts about his career.

While I enjoyed these murder mysteries I found humor lacking when compared to, say, Inspector Wallander. Also his lone investigations are so frequent it makes Winter's role quite unrealistic at times. Not quite in the same 'crime drama' league as Mankell's Wallander and Sjöwall & Wallöö's Beck, but nevertheless much preferred over most American crime drama crap.

A classic from my bookshelf: (translates as) A Dutchman in Paris, by Simon Carmiggelt.
Simon Carmiggelt (October 7, 1913 – November 30, 1987) was a Dutch writer who became a well known public figure in the Netherlands because of his daily newspaper columns and his television appearances.
As a youth Simon was determined to become a journalist.
After various editorial jobs, he became a reporter for the left-wing newspaper Het Volk (The People). Later on he worked for the same paper as a drama critic. He also wrote short columns about daily life in The Hague, which he called Kleinigheden (Trifles). In 1939 Simon married Tiny de Goey. A year later she gave birth to a daughter, Marianne. In the same year the first collection of Kleinigheden was published, named Vijftig dwaasheden (Fifty follies).
When the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940 and Het Volk was taken over and censored, Carmiggelt resigned from the paper.
In 1943, Simon's brother Jan was arrested by the Germans for aiding persons in hiding. He was taken to camp Vught, where he died of exhaustion. Jan's death was to change the rest of Simon's life; he would never fully overcome the trauma it caused.
After the war he again started to write columns for Het Parool. He signed them 'Kronkel' (Kink). His Kronkels became very famous for their melancholic, sometimes sombre tone and the ironic use of formal language.
In 1977 Carmiggelt started a secret liaison with the author Renate Rubinstein. She was later to write a book about this, titled Mijn beter ik (My better self), which was published when both she and Simon had died. Simon Carmiggelt's last Kronkel was published in 1983.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Carmiggelt

'Een Hollander in Parijs' tells about two Dutch ramblers strolling the streets of Paris: Simon who describes his observations and Otto Dicke provides drawings of the same.
The first print of this book was made in 1955 as 'Articles de Paris' and the Dutch title did not appear until 1964. The book is written in Simon's kind style, a little wry and mocking sometimes, and has us looking back to different times with recognition.

Crow is a collection of poems based around the crow. The nature poems such as Crowcolour (see below) are stark, dark, ferocious and sometimes brutal but definitely impressive.
The collection is beautifully written, scary but often funny at the same time. It is also deeply philosophical about the world. I would recommend it if you like scary poems about nature...

Am glad the shopkeeper of Armchair books in Edinburgh advised me about Ted Hughes during my visit earlier this year!

Two poems I particularly liked from this collection:

THAT MOMENT

When the pistol muzzle oozing blue vapour
Was lifted away
Like a cigarette lifted from an ashtray

And the only face left in the world
Lay broken
Between hands that relaxed, being too late

And the trees closed forever
And the streets closed forever

And the body lay on the gravel
Of the abandoned world
Among abandoned utilities
Exposed to infinity forever

Crow had to start searching for something to eat

CROWCOLOUR

Crow was so much blacker
Than the moon's shadow
He had stars.

He was much blacker
Than any negro
As a negro's eye-pupil.

Even, like the sun,
Blacker
Than any blindness.

--Ted Hughes

Since I became acquainted with Banksy's inspiring and funny Street Art, I was given this film to watch. And indeed it is, as described: "A hugely entertaining movie"!
With a twist though, it isn't without controversy, as below quoted text and links will show.

"Ostensibly, Mr. Brainwash, whose real name is Thierry Guetta, was a French-born ex-pat living in L.A. who had been attempting to make a documentary about street art when he came in contact with Banksy. The outrageous plot of the film is that Banksy was so horrified by Guetta's would-be movie--there's even an over-edited, bad 'first cut' of the movie shown--and so fascinated with Guetta, that he turned the cameras on him, only to be completely blindsided when Guetta ripped off his style.
The whole thing, it's clear now, was an intricate prank being pulled on all of us by Banksy, who has never publicly revealed his identity, with Fairey as his accomplice.
The new 'documentary' Exit Through the Gift Shop, 'directed' by Banksy, and 'co-directed' by Shepard Fairey, takes that prank one step further..."
www.fastcompany.com/1616365/banksy-movie-prankumentary

Other links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Brainwash
www.odditycentral.com/tag/thierry-guetta
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/03/street-artist-thierry-guetta-sued-for-copyright-infringement.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s29huwaQ-Ew

Anton Corbijn showed his exhib 'Inwards and Onwards' (portraits of artists) in the FOAM Gallery (Amsterdam, Netherlands) while Misha de Ridder had photos and video here from Norway on show ('Solstice').
www.flickr.com/photos/

Foam proudly presented Anton Corbijn's most recent photographic project. In it he has aimed the camera at a few of his favourite artists, including Gerhard Richter, Alexander McQueen, Richard Prince, Iggy Pop, Anselm Kiefer, Damien Hirst, Tom Waits, Peter Doig, Bruce Springsteen, Lucian Freud and Karel Appel.

Corbijn's love for the musical and creative spirit is already well known. Collaborating on a short film (Some YoYo Stuff, 1993) with artist Don van Vliet - also known as Captain Beefheart - made his appreciation for the painter clear. This probably also had to do with the fact that his grandfather was a painter. The project strippinggirls which he produced with Marlene Dumas in 2000 also had an influence on his interest in the painter.

Anton Corbijn is interested in how artists struggle with the creative process: the pain and the drama of the act of creation. His monumental black-and-white portraits blend austerity and aesthetics and attract attention because of the deliberate and exacting way they capture the character of the person being portrayed. The work shows Corbijn's concentrated gaze, his feeling for wonder and his ability to empathise with another.

Personal vision
In spite of the styling and the apparent coolness of the images, Anton Corbijn's photos have their own unique kind of intimacy. This comes more from Corbijn's vision than from how well he is acquainted with his subject. Both the form chosen as well as the interplay of his concentrated gaze and the space that he continually allows to be determined by chance are essential to the strength of this work. In this series of portraits, Corbijn reveals an extremely personal and contemplative vision of artists which in many respects are decisive for our time and culture. The social and psychological consciousness that Corbijn reveals in these portraits draws viewers into the complexity of the creative process in an unexpected way and makes them aware of the struggle that often is linked to creation. Through this, the portraits give insight into the artists depicted as well as the creator of these intriguing photographs.

Influence
The work of Anton Corbijn has had a great influence on photography throughout his long career, especially on the use of portrait photography in international media. Even at the beginning of his career, a subtle balance could be observed between documentary work and portrait photography in his atmospheric and often melancholy black-and-white photos. His implicit blurring of the lines between various photographic genres was later widely copied worldwide.
www.foam.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_corbijn
www.corbijn.co.uk

Mr Frey's books had high finance often as a subject, due to his own background, but not this one.
This book is set in a small Wisconsin community, Bruner, in the heart of winter, battling snow storms and cabin fever.
I immediately liked that setting: small town USA, pestered by a harsh climate and ignored by the world.
Sheriff Paul Summers has a tainted career and while respected by most he remains an outsider; and his marriage is in trouble.
Bruner is also a goldcoast for big city fat cats having their summer houses in prime, wooded real estate. Than Cindy is killed, she's the daughter of a business man who has it in for Paul, in a very mean way. There's rumor of a cult and the cult is expected of Cindy's ritual killing. Some even think Paul killed Cindy, because they were in some sort of relationship.
His friend and deputy Billy 'Bear' Brock backs him up but he's about the only one.
Moonshine, hidden cabins far into the woods, a jealous wife, a crazy Chippewa woman, a gossipping secretary which Paul cannot shut up...
A real page turner!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Frey

Harm Done can hardly be classified as a murder mystery, as there isn't a murder committed before page 350!
This Inspector Wexford mystery is about abductions, women being abused, a peadophile thrown in for good measure, causing unrest at the Muriel Campden Estate (ultimately leading to the death of DS Hennessy), daughter Sylvia working at The Hide (refuge for women fallen victim to domestic violence) while her own marriage is in dire straights and what happened to Wexford's burberry raincoat?
Plenty of mysteries here!
I found my own limitations keeping track with the many names and storylines of the Muriel Campden Estate people, but otherwise enjoyed another fine visit to Wexford's Kingsmarkham!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Rendell

During the early-1970s I 'discovered' singer/songwriters by listening to American Forces Radio, broadcasting from Rhein-Main in Germany. The first artists I bought albums of were Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot and.. Leonard Cohen. Many a melancholy mood deepened by a bottle of wine and Mr Cohen's music!

A selection of song lyrics and poems from the long and influential career of one of the most acclaimed and admired poet-songwriters in the world.
For more than half a century, Leonard Cohen's music and poetry have made him an international cult figure, transcending genres and generations.
Here is a fascinating cross-section of his as 'Suzanne', 'Sisters of Mercy', 'Bird on a Wire', 'Famous Blue Raincoat' and 'I'm Your Man' and searingly memorable poems from many collections including Flowers for Hitler, Beautiful Losers and Death of a Lady's Man.
Encompassing the erotic and the melancholy, the sacred and the secular, the mystical and the sardonic, this volume showcases a writer of remarkable passion, humour and depth.

en.wikipedia.org:_Leonard_Cohen

UPDATE: Leonard Cohen died 07Nov2016. See Blog 2016 Q4.

Dan Peek (b. 01Nov1950) died July 24th. He's best remembered as member of the band America, with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.
They produced songs like 'A Horse With No Name', 'Sister Golden Hair', 'Ventura Highway' and 'Tin Man'.
At the time I preferred them over The Eagles, which wasn't the common choice.
Dan Peek sang, played guitar and keyboards; he left the band in 1977 and concentrated on performing gospel music.
RIP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Peek

CARPARKS, most expensive cities & average daily rates in P-garages.
01. Olso (61 euro)
02. Copenhagen (50)
03. Melbourne (48)
04. Sydney (47)
05. London-City (46)
06. Tokyo (43)
07. London-West End (40)
08. Amsterdam & Vienna (40)
09. Geneva, Zurich (33)
10. Helsinki (32)
Note: Jakarta was cheapest with only 65 euro cent.
Source: Haarlems Dagblad 28Jul11

Days off for people in the EU
The Danes and the Germans had the most days off in the European Union: 40 (including official holidays). Romenia sat at the bottom of the list, with only 27 days.
The Netherlands listed below the EU average (34,4) with 30 days off. On the number of vacation days the EU average was 25 and Holland was spot on.
Excluding national days of festivity on a sunday, the European average was 9,6; Spain counted the most: 14.
The agreed weekly working hours in the EU (including Norway) averaged 38 hours in 2010, an hour less than in 2009. But people working full-time averaged 39,7 hours on a weekly basis. In the Netherlands the average working week numbered 37,5 hours.

> Click the image for a larger one <

Mike Roelofs (from Eindhoven, the Netherlands) travelled in 2008 for the first time into Romenia to record the living conditions of the Roma. The images he returned with saw Mike being awarded with the 'Zilveren Camera' (=Silver Camera) op.
Together with anthropologist Fanny Jol he revisited Romenia four times. A majority of the Roma have to live under distressing circumstances and while the compelling photography don't really need explaining, the text does let the Roma speak of their expectations, sometimes showing a glimmer of hope, often brimming with dispair and struggle.

The book Resilience was published in 2010 (ISBN: 978-­90-­815848-1­‐4).
www.mikeroelofs.eu

Borders has abandoned efforts to refinance its debts, and is preparing bankruptcy papers and seeking financing agreements that would keep it operating during the Chapter 11.
Borders's finances crumbled amid declining interest in bricks-and-mortar booksellers, a broad cultural trend for which it offered no answers. The bookseller suffered a series of management gaffes, piled up unsustainable debts and failed to cultivate a meaningful presence on the Internet or in increasingly popular digital e-readers.
More on: online.wsj.com/article/SB100....

This week I had the opportunity to see the film GORKY PARK (1983, William Hurt, Lee Marvin - see imdb.com). Everybody knows one should first read the book and then see the movie, not the other way around.
I seem to be going entirely wrong about it: I went to Gorky Park first, then saw the film, now I still have to read the book..

An investigator on the Moscow police force relentlessly pursues the solution to a triple homicide which occurred in Moscow's Gorky Park. He finds that no one really wants him to solve the crime because it is just the tip of a complex conspiracy which involves the highest levels of the Moscow city government.
In the film William Hurt plays investigator Arkady Renko and Lee Marvin plays the role of Jack Osborne, who is attempting to smuggle live sables (Martes zibellina) out of the country to break Russians monopoly of this fur trade.

My 2nd album by Seasick Steve, bought it a few weeks ago when I was over in Scotland: 'You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks'.
He has a unique style, but no.3 track on this album, 'Burnin' Up' made me think of Chris Rea, while no.12 track, 'It's A Long Way' made me think of Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash; no copy cat material, just my personal association.
I also like the spoken, personal anecdote he's added at the end of the CD (as he did with the previous one too).
All wonderful stuff from a unique individual!

Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve (b. 1941), is an American blues musician. He plays (mostly personalized) guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.
In the 1960s, he started touring and performing with fellow blues musicians, and had friends in the music scene including Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell. Kurt Cobain was a friend.
In the 1990s he continued to work as a recording engineer and producer, producing several releases by Modest Mouse including their 1996 debut album This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About.
At one time, living in Paris, Wold made his living busking, mostly on the metro. After moving to Norway in 2001, Wold released his first album, entitled Cheap.
His debut solo album, Dog House Music was released by Bronzerat Records on 26 November 2006.
[Wikipedia]

www.seasicksteve.com