The Duffle Coat – An Ivy Classic
1 day ago
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Zach Galifianakis smokes pot on TV
Funny! Zach Galifianakis smokes pot on Bill Maher's show. In The Netherlands people would be like yeah whatever, but in the USA this is still pretty shocking stuff.
Kizilirmak - Pir Sultan Abdal
My favorite Turkish album is Pir Sultan Abdal by Kizilirmak.Pir Sultan Abdal (ca. 1480 – 1550) was a legendary Alawi poet, whose beautiful verses led him to become a classic in Turkish (folk) litterature. Pir Sultan Abdal reflected the social, cultural and religious life of the people; he was a humanist, and wrote about resistance, love, peace, death and God. He was also rebellious against authoritarian rule which led him into problems with the Ottoman establishment.
For latter day Turkish poets and musicians such as Kizilirmak, Pir Sultan is a symbol of resistance against authoritarian rule in general, and the shortcomings of the Turkish Republic in particular.
The Alawi are a religious, sub-ethnic and cultural community, primarily in Turkey and Syria, numbering in the tens of millions. Alawi view of Islam is heavily influenced by Tengriism, the ancient Turkic pre-islam beliefs. Alawi is classified as a branch of Shi'a Islam, however there are significant differences in Alawi beliefs, traditions and rituals when compared to other orthodox sects. Alawi worship takes place in assembly houses (cemevi) rather than mosques. The ceremony (cem), features music and dance (semah) and both women and men participate. Instead of Arabic, the respective native language is predominant during rituals and praying.
Key Alevi characteristics include:
- Love and respect for all people
(“The important thing is not religion, but being a human being”) - Tolerance towards other religions and ethnic groups
(“If you hurt another person, the ritual prayers you have done are counted as worthless”) - Respect for working people
("The greatest act of worship is to work”) - Equality of men and women, who pray side by side. Monogamy is practiced.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Youth Sentiment
Ultimate Nostalgia: De Fabeltjeskrant. It ran everyday at 19.00 on Dutch TV during the 70ies, much longed for and looked forward to by myself in pajamas, the end of which was immediately followed by bedtime departure.
Swedish stamps
Four nice new Swedish stamps with a culinary theme: polkagris (a typical Swedish candy cane striped red and white from the city of Gränna), gravad lax (so famous it contributed its name to the vocabulary of the world), surströmming (a lot less famous, thank god!, because this dish consists of traditional and utterly disgusting Northern-Swedish fermented herring) and spettekaka (a Southern-Swedish egg cake). I put them on my blog partly because of the funny choice of subject, and partly because I really like the original artwork of Stina Wirsen. A shot from the trenches in Vietnam?
"...charging a man with murder here is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy500..."
Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now.
...tack Johanna...
Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now.
...tack Johanna...
Betabrand
I just saw something I really like: The Black Sheep Sweater from San Fransisco based fashion company Betabrands; it's exactly what it sounds to be: a sweater made from the wool of only black sheep. Organic wool from Ireland; non-dyed natural black wool; and the sweater is Made in San Fransisco. Wow! What a great Christmas gift! A worthy recipient in every family!
When looking at some of the other stuff this company makes I am equally intrigued and fascinated: there are corduroy pants with the cords going horizontally instead of the usual vertical, there are reversible dinner jackets, attach-you-own-belt mailman bags, chino pants with reflective pocket insides for evening biking., etc! Fun tongue-in-cheek innovation. Do have a look at their great website: www.betabrands.com They ship worldwide, and of course I could not help myself and put in an order. Must have that Black Sheep sweater, those quirky cords, and that strange mailman bag!
When looking at some of the other stuff this company makes I am equally intrigued and fascinated: there are corduroy pants with the cords going horizontally instead of the usual vertical, there are reversible dinner jackets, attach-you-own-belt mailman bags, chino pants with reflective pocket insides for evening biking., etc! Fun tongue-in-cheek innovation. Do have a look at their great website: www.betabrands.com They ship worldwide, and of course I could not help myself and put in an order. Must have that Black Sheep sweater, those quirky cords, and that strange mailman bag!
Friday, October 29, 2010
3-11 Porter - Surround Me
3-11 Porter is a Norwegian band, formed by Per Arne Bertheussen in Oslo in 1997. The other band members are Svein Hansen and Tracee Meyn. The song ‘Surround Me’ was remixed by Mental Overdrive and became 3-11 Porter’s international breakthrough when it appeared on Hôtel Costes, Vol. 6. In 2008, the song appeared on the soundtrack of the film Fireflies in the Garden starring Julia Roberts (on which below clip is based).
This original version of Surround Me sound perhaps a bit naked and flat when comparing to the more famous Mental Overdrive remix, but to me (in all its simplicity) it is authentic and honest, and one of the most beautiful songs of the past decade.
This original version of Surround Me sound perhaps a bit naked and flat when comparing to the more famous Mental Overdrive remix, but to me (in all its simplicity) it is authentic and honest, and one of the most beautiful songs of the past decade.
Evan Leavitt
"Athens, Georgia based photographer Evan Leavitt has become a bit of a Flickr superstar through his documentation of the rural South. Leavitt’s photos incorporate a post production texturing effect to make them appear somewhere in-between a photo and a painting" -
A Continuous Lean
A Continuous Lean
a Private Skyscraper in Mumbai
Mr. Mukesh Ambani, apparently India's wealthiest individual, has built himself a private residence downtown Mumbai (Bombay). It's a 170m tall 27 floor skyscraper, with parking space for 168 cars, an entire floor for “car maintenance,” an “in-house service centre, an “entertainment floor” and three helipads.
Donald Trump has been Trumped!
source: www.joehallock.com
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Messerschmitt KR200 micro car from 1955
Messerschmitt made fighter aircraft for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Famous planes such as the Bf-109, and the Me-262 jetfighter. After the war they converted to charming & cheap little cars such as the KR200.
The Heinkel Kabine micro car from 1956
During WWII Heinkel made bombers for the Luftwaffe. Planes such as the He-111, infamous after the bombing of Guernica, Warsaw and Rotterdam. After the war Heinkel converted their factories to the manufacturing of scooters and micro-cars.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Valhalla Rising
Just saw Valhalla Rising by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, and featuring Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as the main character, One Eye.
The story is set around 1000 AD. What appears to be a bunch of pagan and newly converted norsemen or celts travel by longboat through endless mist, aiming for the Holy Land. In fact they travel the exact opposite direction and land in North America where they are one by one killed off by a very unpleasantly portrayed tribe of Indians, but at the same time meet their individual destinies.
This movie is odd to say the least. Hypnotic and misty. Raw, cold and dirty. Violent. It's beautifully shot, but the story remains as vague as the fog that envelops it. There is very little dialogue; Mads Mikkelsen for example doesn't utter a single word in the whole movie.
The (non)-meeting of these pagan europeans with american indigenous people I find interesting though. The atmosphere of it all reminds of the arrival of Willard upriver at the camp of Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Something very primitive, pagan and deeply disturbing. Perhaps this movie is to be read as a new and quite abstract interpretation of The Heart of Darkness? Anyway, it's intriguing.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Classic picture
Monday, October 18, 2010
Retro-Ethno-Kitsch Architecture: Inntel Hotels, Zaandam, The Netherlands
Somehow and despite itself and myself, I quite like this hyper-Dutch monstrosity. It's humorous and makes me smile.
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