Melkmuil mixtape

mixtape

Creating this first mixtape after getting a (cheap second-hand) Pioneer cassette deck was tremendous fun.

I reused an old cassette I found in my mother’s cassette deck. I tried to fix the cassette deck but had to part with it in the end—replacing the electromotors became too much of a hassle. I found another place that sold old cassettes for 50 cents. I bought a handful and will use these for other mixtapes.

The first mixtape theme I hit upon was Dutch bands, probably most 90s bands, although De Kift and The Ex have been around much longer and are actually still active. I called it Melkmuil. You can find the Melkmuil playlist on Spotify.

Creating the cover – collating – was another part of the fun. Cassette cover templates were easy to find, for example, at de Bandjesfabriek.

Side A

  • De Kift – Nauwe Mijter
  • Skik – Betonpaolties
  • The Ex – Soon All Cities
  • Tröckener Kecks – Andere Plaats, Andere Tijd
  • Bettie Serveert – Healthy Sick
  • JOHAN – Day Is Done
  • Spinvis – Paradijs
  • Daryll-Ann – A note about time
  • Eton Crop – It’s My Dog Maestro

Side B

  • Claw Boys Claw – On The Run
  • Hallo Venray – Slow Change
  • Bertje Doperwtje – Alleen Maar Jou
  • Roosbeef – Vergis ik mij
  • Urban Dance Squad – Demagogue
  • Ivy Green – Another Sub-Culture Going Bad
  • Blue Murder – Get Lost
  • The Vernon Walters – Present History

Surprising Facts from ‘Uncommon Knowledge’ by The Economist

Uncommon Knowledge published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage

I wrote earlier that I love rare facts. Uncommon Knowledge is published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage, editor by The Economist.

The book consists of short essays of no more than two pages, each zooming in on an unexpected fact. The essays are well written and mostly indeed surprising. For example:

Swaziland is actually called Eswatini; it was renamed in 2018 (the name is eSwatini according to the book, but it is generally spelled Eswatini today).

Carrots are white. Orange carrots originate from the Dutch town of Hoorn and may have been grown out of a gesture of support for William of Orange.

Why most refugees do not live in camps: because camps are miserable places. Even when aid is more accessible in camps, refugees prefer an uncertain life in cities because they have more opportunities to do things. Conclusion by The Economist: let refugees out of camps; let them work.

China loans pandas to other countries as a political tool.

Why do people eat more chicken nowadays? It is cheaper, and breading them is so efficient. Chickens are so big nowadays that they can’t get on top of each other anymore to mate. I also talked about this after reading Jonathan Foer’s book Eating Animals (Dieren eten). (Yes, I eat vegetarian.)

Expensive weddings yield higher chances of divorce.

Import tariffs do more harm to the economy than good. (The book was written during Trump’s first presidency).
In 2018, the WHO published a list of deadly viruses, including the placeholder’ Disease X’, an undetermined disease that could cause an international epidemic.

The US has, next to Brazil, one of the highest deaths caused by firearms per capita in the world. Two-thirds of these deaths in the US are suicides. So, I would say you could very well conclude that the NRA in the US is a lobby organization promoting suicides. You never hear a pro-life organization about these approximately 26000 deaths per year.

Islamic zina laws inhibit illicit sexual relationships. This often applies to the victim of rape as well. That is a horror even worsened by the primitive punishments of whipping and stoning. A complete nightmare for women.

Turkey puts most journalists in prison of all countries in the world. (And is still contemplating the introduction of zina laws).

An interesting book that gives a different view on many topics.

Grave of the Fireflies on Netflix

We can now watch Studio Ghibli‘s arguably most sad and moving story, Grave of the Fireflies, on Netflix. So far, the film by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata is only available on Hulu, which is not available in Europe.

The film, released in 1988, is set in Japan, in the last months of World War II. The film is based on a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, telling his own experiences during the war. Brother and sister Seia and Setsuko lost their mother during the US firebombing of Kobe in 1945. They are taken care of by their aunt, but she doesn’t treat the children well. The kids decide to go and live in a cave they have discovered.

Like other Ghibli animation movies, this film is not a children’s movie. It is a lovely story that was beautifully made, yet it is a moving film about human survival and the devastating effects of war.

Grave of the Fireflies

Wallpaper and Vinyl: Ian Dury’s ‘Do It Yourself’

Some weeks ago, I found the vinyl album Ian Dury & the Blockheads’ “Do It Yourself” at a small vinyl market in the once-famous Buk Buk in Heiloo. The album largely slipped from my memory, waiting to reveal its surprises.
Ian Dury did not want to include singles on his albums. This choice results in a more nuanced collection of songs. These album tracks showcase a different side of the artist—more restrained and soulful than the raucous energy of familiar hits like “Hit Me” and “Reasons to Be Cheerful.” The songs feel more intimate, trading pop exuberance for subtle musical depth. The album’s last track, “Lullaby for Franci/es” underscores this.

My copy is a later release, interestingly bundled with a 7″ featuring “Hit Me” and “There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards.” I’m uncertain whether this bonus single was part of the original release or added subsequently.

Funny facts: Stiff Records released it with an extraordinary twist. The album came in 34 or more alternative sleeves, each featuring a unique Crown Wallpaper design. Each sleeve displays the Crown catalog number for its specific wallpaper pattern in the bottom left corner. In a delightful bit of cross-promotion, Crown even wallpapered the sets for the Blockheads’ subsequent promotional tour.

Analog restoration: SONY WM EX112 walkman repaired

Cassettes are back on the scene. Analog is in. I want to make mixtapes again, after Austin Kleon’s example.
My brother and I used to spend hours crafting mixtapes of our favorite radio pop shows. We would painstakingly hit record and pause to avoid the DJ’s chatter, creating our own uninterrupted music experience.

I stumbled upon a Sony Walkman WM EX112 for a bargain. I couldn’t wait to use it again.

Sony Walkman WM EX112

The spindle didn’t run. That meant the drive belt was probably stretched or decayed. So I looked for a replacement belt on the Internet. To my surprise, you can find a belt for almost any old cassette player. I found mine on fixyouraudio.com. I believe they are based in the Czech Republic; anyway, the belt will arrive within 2 days.

Not sure if it was luck as well to very quickly find a real service manual for this Sony Walkman. This was a rare gem in a world where everything is designed to be replaced, not repaired. By the way, if you ever retrieved such an old manual, save it immediately in your archive, an archive folder, or a tool like Evernote. You never know if this website will still exist the next time you need the manual.

Sony Walkman WM EX112 belt from fixyouraudio

Opening the walkman for repair is a small challenge. There are no screws, unfortunately, but you have to open some clips. That could be more convenient. This video explains how to do it. In the service manual are more details. First, press the clips under the lid with a screwdriver so that the top of the plastic case comes loose. Then, carefully follow the numbering and open the other clips in circles. Carefully, although it requires a fair amount of force.

Sony Walkman WM EX112 opened up for repair

Once you have it open, replacing the string is a straightforward process. You’ll notice the string wrapped around the spindle. Carefully remove the old string. Then, take the new string and wrap it around the spindle in the same way as the old one. If the string has popped off, cleaning the wheels from the rubber cake is a good idea. In my case, they were still clean, and the problem was just that the string had become very limp.

Fixyouraudio includes a nice checklist for cassette-repair enthusiasts.

cassette player repair checklist

Non-conformance: Sayaka Murata in Wired

Sayaka Murata
Sayaka Murata

I read this interesting article in Wired about Sayaka Murata, author of, among other things, ‘Convenience Store Woman’ (Buurtsupermens in Dutch) and ‘Earthlings.’ She is a fascinating writer.

Murata critically examines societal norms around work, conformity, and marginalization in Japanese society. ‘Convenience Store Woman‘ and ‘Earthlings‘ explore characters who struggle to fit into conventional social expectations, offering dark, satirical perspectives on identity and alienation.

Respect voor opgestapte NSC-fractieleden

Een paar dagen geleden sprak ik hier mijn onbegrip uit over NSC-leden die een kabinet blijven steunen dat racisme tolereert. Ik noemde specifiek Rosanne Hertzberger, iemand die ik hoog had zitten en waarvan ik niet begreep hoe zij de gang van zaken konden tolereren zonder met zichzelf in conflict te komen.
Vandaag hebben Femke Zeedijk en Rosanne Hertzberger hun kamerlidmaatschap voor NSC opgezegd omdat ze niet langer hun steun aan deze regering kunnen geven. Respect.

Van Vroonhoven zegt: “We zitten in een moeilijke samenwerking”, erkende ze, “maar er is een goede mood” (nos.nl).

Op 23 november is het ledencongres van deze partij. Ik verwacht dat de leden minder in een goede mood zullen zijn en de overgebleven kamerleden zullen aansporen ook hun medewerking aan een racistisch kabinet op te zeggen. Zelfs als dat betekent dat er verkiezingen kunnen komen waarbij de partij een groot deel van haar zetels zal verliezen. Want belangrijker dan de omvang van een zichzelf respecterende partij is haar integriteit.

Exploring Unusual Facts: My Personal Favorites

I am currently reading Uncommon Knowledge, a publication from The Economist. Apparently, I have a weakness for unusual facts. Time for a brief egocentric list of my nerdy interests.

In my browser, I have a bookmark with a link to a random Wikipedia article (or I use Wikiroulette). I regularly read Cory Doctorow’s This Day In History posts on his Pluralistic blog.

I also enjoy podcasts that share unexpected knowledge. Examples include No Such Thing As A Fish, Today in History, Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, and Oh What A Time. This American Life and Revisionist History also fit well in this category.

I love books that pull me down the rabbit hole. Some favorites include At Home and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I also enjoy the books of Dutch writer Boudewijn Büch, which are full of facts about all kinds of things, such as small islands, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and the non-fiction works of Cees Nooteboom. A starter kit for enthusiasts.

Integriteit van het NSC: De verloren geloofwaardigheid

Het NSC, de partij die zichzelf heeft gepresenteerd als de voorvechter van integriteit, heeft haar definitief haar geloofwaardigheid verloren. In plaats van vast te houden aan de principes die ze eerder verkondigde, lijkt het partijbelang belangrijker te worden dan ethische waarden. De partij, die zich uitsprak voor het invoeren van wettelijke integriteitsregels voor politici, neemt zelf niet de moeite om deze normen na te leven. Dit wordt pijnlijk duidelijk nu ze zich niet distantiëren van de racistische uitspraken van leden uit het kabinet waar ze deel van uitmaken, maar deze lijken te negeren of zelfs onder de mat te vegen. Het is bijzonder dat een partij die zegt te staan voor integriteit zelf actief meedoet aan het in stand houden van een regering die racisme niet alleen tolereert, maar zelfs minimaliseert.

Hoe kan het dat kamerleden van het NSC deze koers volgen?

Ik begrijp werkelijk niet hoe kamerleden van het NSC zichzelf kunnen verantwoorden voor hun rol in deze regering. Waar is de intrinsieke integriteit gebleven die je zou verwachten van politici die ooit beoogden verandering te brengen? In het verleden was het mogelijk om fatsoenlijk met mensen als Rosanne Hertzberger van mening te verschillen, maar nu lijkt het erop dat ze geen enkel probleem hebben met het feit dat ze onderdeel zijn van een kabinet dat racisme tolereert, of het nu expliciet wordt uitgesproken of subtiel wordt weggemoffeld. Dan ben je wat mij betreft definitief door de mand gevallen.