Month: September 2022

“It’s been like this all morning,” grumbles a Flemish woman with a brightyellow helmet. Together with about twenty others she tries to participate in atour on a blue bicycle from London Bicycles. But there is little to cyclebetween Buckingham Palace, Westminster Hall and Westminster Abbey. The area ishermetically sealed to cars. Cyclists and pedestrians are bound by tightroutes with many fences and few crossings.

London prepares for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, tomorrow at 12:00 Dutchtime at Westminster Abbey. Hundreds of heads of state, government leaders andother prominent figures are coming. In addition, up to a million people maycome to the city to experience as much as possible of the funeral and thesubsequent driving tour on the streets, in parks or in the pub.

According to the London police, this represents the largest security operationever for the city.

NOS

Soldiers support the London police

At least 10,000 officers from across the United Kingdom are involved,supported by military personnel. The center where the ceremonies take place isfull of roadblocks. In order to guarantee safety as much as possible, theairspace will also be closed for the most part during the funeral.

According to security expert Simon Morgan, who was responsible for thesecurity of the royal family within the London police until a few years ago,the city is ready for this mega-operation: “The scripts for this day have beenset up for years and every major royal event in the city is It has been usedas a kind of training in recent decades, such as Princess Diana’s funeral in1997, or William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. All the knowledge gained fromthose moments comes in handy now.”

From attack to pickpockets

Morgan points out that Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is such a complicatedsecurity issue mainly because different kinds of threat come together: “Ofcourse everyone thinks of the possibility of a terrorist attack, with so manypublic figures together. But if at the same time there are a million people onthe road being on the street also means, for example, that there are morepickpockets active. All those aspects deserve the same attention, becauseeveryone who is in London on Monday deserves police protection.”

G. Keith Still, visiting professor of masses and behavior at the University ofSuffolk, reckons London can handle so many people: “London has experience withbig events, think of the 2012 Olympics. constantly monitor where it threatensto get too crowded. They see in time which metro stations or public placesthey have to close in that case, so that they can redirect people to anotherplace. If you expect such large crowds, you have to come up with a plan A,also have a plan B and C. The city has it.”

Two days in the cold

According to Still, it also matters what type of people come to the city:”Visitors to a funeral show different behavior than people who come for afootball match, for example. The biggest risk for the people who come toLondon on Monday is that they can overestimate themselves. That they think: Ican stand along the route for hours, that is not too much for me, while thatcould of course be the case for some. “

NOS

Nathalie (left), Rachel (center) and Kim (right) have been waiting along theroute of the funeral since 5 a.m. on Saturday morning

To get ahead of Monday’s masses, Nathalie (49), Rachel (51) and Kim (59) havealready set up a camping chair in Parliament Square at 5 a.m. on Saturdaymorning. They are thus assured of a good spot along the route that the coffincontaining Queen Elizabeth’s remains will travel from Westminster Hall toWestminster Abbey.

They don’t care that they have to last more than two days in the open air. “Wehave chairs, we have sleeping bags and we make new friends: we are doingwell,” Rachel says. “Being in the cold for more than two days and withoutsleep is nothing compared to our queen’s more than seventy years of loyal

Let’s get started! On Sunday, September 18, the cycling spectacle will kickoff in Australia, with the men’s individual time trial in the night fromSaturday to Sunday. After we have rubbed the sleep from our eyes, we can alsolook at another course on the couch in the afternoon. In the leader ‘sjersey List here where and at what time you should switch on.

TV and times World Championship time trial men and women 2022

The World Cycling Championships will be organized on the other side of theworld this year. That is great fun for the globalization of the sport, for theriders who ride there and for the audience present, but cycling fans from theNetherlands and Belgium are disappointed. They have to set the alarm if theywant to see something of the spectacle.

The individual time trials for the women and the men are completed in themiddle of the night. For the women you may still be able to stay up, as thefirst rider rolls off the starting podium at 1.35 am. However, the finish ofthe latter is not expected until 04:45. You might set the alarm for the men.The first will start at 05:40 am and the finish of the last participant isexpected around 09:00 am.

Both time trials can be followed via Eurosport the NOS and sporza.The NOS (NPO 1) switches on with the women from 1.30 am, Eurosport 1 andSporza (Eén) are available from 3 am. For the men, Eurosport and the NOS willstart broadcasting at 05.30, Sporza at 07:00.

TV and times Gooikse Pijl 2022

Sprint again in Belgium? It just might. The autumn classics at our southernneighbors often have a familiar ending. At the Championship of Flanders FabioJakobsen won and the Primus Classic was for Jordi Meeus. Quite a fewaltimeters are consumed in the Gooikse Pijl, but the fast men must still beconsidered capable of sprinting in the streets of Gooik.

The Gooikse Pijl will only be broadcast on Sunday via Proximus in Belgium.Bad news for Dutch cycling fans, who have to wait for the race report of In deLeiderstrui.

TV and times Grand Prix d’Isbergues

In addition to Australia and Belgium, there will also be races in France onSunday. The 1.1-day race Grand Prix d’Isbergues is fairly well occupied,especially by men from their own country. Arnaud Démare, Bryan Coquard andClément Venturini will ride a home race, but the organization will certainlylook forward to the arrival of Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Greg Van Avermaet(AG2R) and Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Unfortunately, there are no live images of the race, at least not in theNetherlands and Belgium. It will be broadcast in France, so we have to lookonline for a good stream. If you don’t feel like it, you will find the reporton the website of . after the finish In the leader ‘s jersey.

TV and times Exact Cross Kruibeke

Cyclocross! Yes! The first cross was actually already ridden on Saturday inMechelen, but the real cyclocross calendar officially starts on Sunday 18September. Then the ladies and gentlemen from cyclo-cross come together inKruibeke, where the first Exact Cross will be ridden. Who’s showing good legsso early in the season?

Live images of the cross can be found via Proximus (VTM) and viaEurosport. In Belgium they start broadcasting at 4 pm, Eurosport starts at4.15 pm with the cross for women, via Eurosport 1 and the Eurosport Player.It’s the turn of the gentlemen at 5.30 p.m. on both Eurosport channels.Proximus will continue the broadcast until 7 pm.

The ombudsman of the public broadcaster, Margo Smit, has received a recordnumber of almost seventeen hundred complaints about an item in three days.Unheard of News from Thursday. The offending item would be racist.

The number of complaints is more than double the total complaints harvest ofan average year. Smit will forward the complaints to the responsiblebroadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON).

The rain of complaints, added to the condemnation of the broadcast by thecentral management of the public broadcaster (NPO), raises the question ofwhat the consequences will be for ON. What can the NPO leadership do againstthe radical right broadcaster – and four more questions.

1 What exactly has ‘Unheard News’ done?

The opinion program on Thursday included an item about alleged “racist”aggression by black people against white people. The program showed a collageof social media videos in which a black man repeatedly assaulted a white man.According to pointer -journalist Marieke Kuypers, who examined theimagestheviolence shown was not actually racially motivated.

In the item, presenter Raisa Blommestijn repeatedly used the n-word. She said,among other things: “You see whites being beaten up by n*gers – we see on alarge scale, by the way.”

Frederieke Leeflang, chairman of the central board of the public broadcaster(NPO) condemned the item on Friday. According to her, the limit of editorialfreedom had been reached “with regard to racist or discriminatory statements”.The joint broadcasters (minus ON and NOS) also came with a conviction. Theycalled the item “a false, racist message” which they collectively qualified as”unjournalistic, unethical and contrary to the core values ​​of the NPO”.Rabin Baldewsingh, National Coordinator Against Racism and Discrimination,said: “It was openly racist on national television.”

2 What does the NPO want to do about it?

NPO board chairman Leeflang does not officially deal with the content ofprograms, but she calls on two involved bodies to investigate the matter. TheMedia Authority (CvdM) can check whether ON violated the Media Act. It statesthat a public broadcaster must “prevent the offer of its media services frominciting violence or hatred against a group”.

Leeflang also called on the NPO ombudsman Margo Smit to check the item againstthe Journalistic Code of the public broadcaster. Smit can check whether ON hascontributed to ‘dissemination of demonstrably incorrect information’. ON bossArnold Karskens recently renamed his program originally intended to bejournalistic to an ‘opinion program’. However, they must also adhere to theCode, said Leeflang.

3 What happens after a possible negative judgement?

If the ombudsman or the CvdM were to rule that ON has violated the Media Actor the Code, Leeflang can fine the broadcaster a maximum of 540,000 euros (15percent of the annual budget of 3.6 million). What can be aggravating is thatthe broadcaster was also fined in June, of 93,000 euros, for violation of theCode. According to the ombudsman interviewed Unheard of News the guests toouncritical, causing the program to disseminate incorrect information withoutcontradiction.

After a second fine, Leeflang then reports to the government. After this,State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Media, D66) can decide to prematurely withdraw thefive-year temporary employment permit.

4 Can Ongehoord also be prosecuted?

Group insults and hate speech (public incitement to hatred and discriminationagainst a group because of race, religion, etc.) is punishable by law. If thisis done in a group and professionally, it acts as an aggravating circumstance.The n-word, as Blommestijn used it repeatedly, has been regarded as an insultby the judge in previous cases. In addition, Blommestijn used the word todistinguish a population group by skin color, and then to accuse it of massiveand aggravated assault. A judge can see this as unnecessarily offensive and asa group insult. Partly because the item had no further clear reason and seemedpurely intended to create a mood against black people, the judge could alsosee it as incitement to hatred.

5 Doesn’t this fall under free speech?

The relevant Articles 137C and 137D of the Criminal Code constitute a legallimitation of a fundamental right, freedom of expression. Not beingdiscriminated against is also a fundamental right. The judge must weigh thesetwo equal fundamental rights against each other.

You can argue that the offending item is allowed as part of the free socialdebate. Blommestijn acted as a presenter and could be regarded as a journalistor opinion maker. Like politicians, they have greater freedom to participatein the debate. But an opinion maker also has a greater responsibility: whatshe says carries more weight than what an ordinary citizen says. A publicfunction can therefore also be regarded as aggravating, as was apparent, forexample, in the conviction for group insult of Member of Parliament Wilders(PVV) in 2016.

First, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) still has to decide whether itwants to prosecute the people of ON at all. In the case of group insults andhate speech, the Public Prosecution Service is usually very reluctant to doso.

With the collaboration of Gilad Perez

Jan-Peter de Graaff is a frequent composer. Last year, the world receivedseveral new works from him: the song cycle Parallax orchestral work Event-Horizon a cello concerto The Forest in April and Hammer and Tanz forpiano four hands and two percussionists. Now we have an oratorio: The GoldenCalf. It premiered on Friday on the occasion of the fortieth edition of theMusica Sacra festival in Maastricht.

Conductor Hans Leenders and actor Dries Vanhegen have to wait at least aminute after the choir and musicians have walked onto the stage and theapplause of encouragement has died down. As the choir begins to twirl theirthumbs, navel-gazing, the hall coughs louder and louder. Silence is painful,but it does give time for the program booklet: in the The Golden Calf DeGraaff and lyricist Jibbe Willems set about the exodus of the Israelites andMoses, who stayed on the mountain for so long that the people in good spiritsinvented their own god. They see a parallel with this time, when many people’have an obsession with nostalgia.’ “People are frantically going back to howthey think it used to be,” it says.

Oratory

An oratorio is a musical work with a church story, usually sung by choir andsoloist roles, one of which is often a narrator, accompanied by an orchestra.Unlike opera, an oratorio usually has no staging or directing. A well-knownexample of an oratorio is the St Matthew Passion from Bach.

Eastern border

The Golden Calf lasts about half an hour and sounds from a chorus ofIsraelites from which solo voices occasionally sound, an actor who playsmonologues by Aaron (brother of Moses) and five strings, trumpet, alto oboeand percussion.

The silent minute is over: the music begins tensely with a ‘pling’ on thevibraphone, a fiddle up high and a wailing ‘wawwawwaw’ on the cello that turnsinto a mournful melody ending on an open C string, the lowest. The doublebass, meanwhile, is picking a slow march. Later, the blazers add a mysticalflavor.

Musically De Graaff has sought out the eastern border of Europe and keepsStravinsky close, that is quickly clear. But you also quickly feel that thereis more in it than is currently apparent. Perhaps it is the caution of themusicians of the South Netherlands Philharmonic (the percussionist inparticular has too little courage), but if only a nice full orchestra hadplayed here.

The Golden Calf appears to be a bit diffuse. There is music, but alsotheatre. There is a great story in which there is also a great allegory forthe present to be made clear. And there’s only half an hour left. The resultis that a lot of paint is still wet when another layer is applied. De Graaffsdoes not write simple straightforward music, you have to get into it, butbefore you get that far, Aäron interrupts with a theatrical monologue. Thesame applies to Aaron: before you are in the story, music is already playing.The distance between the two is sharpened because Aaron sounds loudlyamplified from speakers, and the choir and ensemble do not.

Orgy

As if that multiplicity were not enough, a (minimal) directing for Aaron alonewas also sought. It’s uncomfortable to see Vanhegen turn away from theaudience because he has trouble taking off his blouse, only to portray adancing crowd on his own like a farmer with a toothache, clearly only 40%convinced himself. that this was a good idea.

Of course, strong pieces remain: for example how the Israelites we are nowwaiting / for someone to say / do this / do that / do this / do that sing, inwhich the last repetition sounds like church bells. the orgy ( we dance / wesing / we kiss / we drink / free ) on compelling Stravinsky-meets-Disneys-The little Mermaid -like music. Or the end, Aaron’s conclusion that Israelwas closest to the promised land during that orgy.

Finally, the Israelites repeat to Aaron: Thus we wander / to death / throughthe desert / but / the promised land / was that night / so damn near. Forexample, De Graaff and Willems send you out of the room at the last minutewith a big question: because if the Israelites thought so too, why in God’sname do they follow Moses?

It ‘s been a pretty nice week on Prime Video packed with great movies. Wedive into the new offer!

Our Friend (2019)

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Direction : Gabriela Cowperthwaite | cast : Dakota Johnson, CaseyAffleck, Jason Segel, Gwendoline Christie

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Matthew Teague is happily married to 34-year-old Nicole. When Nicole is toldone day she has only six months to live, their world comes crashing down. Theydare not tell the bad news to their two daughters. However, they receiveunexpected support from their best friend Dane, who offers to live with thefamily as a buddy for a few weeks. But the weeks quickly turn into months.Based on the Esquire article of the same name written by the real MatthewTeague in 2015. A true story of unconditional friendship. Purchased ticketscannot be returned.

Last Seen Alive (2022)

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Direction: Brian Goodman | cast : Gerard Butler, Dani Deette, Jaimie Alexander,Russell Hornsby

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When Will (Gerard Butler) drives his (future) ex-wife Lisa (Jamie Alexander)to his in-laws’ house, she mysteriously disappears during a stop at a gasstation. In a desperate attempt to find her, Will calls in both the localpolice and Lisa’s parents. When Will suddenly becomes the prime suspecthimself, he takes matters into his own hands… Waidmannsdank (2020)

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Direction: Daniel Prochaska | cast : Jutta Fastian, Pia Hierzegger, RobertStadlober, Hannes Flaschberger

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From a small mountain village, most inhabitants have moved elsewhere. Theremaining residents all know each other and handle all matters amongthemselves. When a local hunter dies after a serious fall, police officersTreichel and Schober initially think of a tragic accident. But then it turnsout that the ladder had been tampered with.

Im Treasures of Fear (2019)

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Direction: Till Endemann | cast : Julia Koschitz, Justus von Dohnanyi, AaronFriesz, Marie-Christine Friedrich

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Psychiatrist Karla Eckhardt has to judge whether the well-known architectCarsten Spanger is mentally insane or not. He tied up a young woman in hisbasement where she was terrified. Karla Eckhardt diagnoses him with severenarcissistic personality disorder and soon suspects she has a veteran offenderin front of her. Could Spanger be a serial killer?

Son of the South (2020)

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Direction: Barry Alexander Brown | cast : Lucas Till, Jim Klock, Michael Sirow,Jake Abel

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A Klansman’s grandson comes of age in the south. In the summer of 1969, he istrapped in a place and time where he must choose which side he stands on. Hefights against social injustice, oppression and violence and transformshimself to help change the world around him. He eventually joins the CivilRights Movement.

Kobe: Una Storia Italiana (2022)

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Direction : Jesus Garces Lambert |

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Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players in history. He grew upin the Italian province surrounded by pasta, the countryside and footballcheers.

Goodnight Mommy (2022)

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Direction: Matt Sobel | cast : Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, Peter Hermann,Nicholas Crovetti

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Twins Elias and Lucas welcome their mother home after a medical procedure.Because her face is still hidden during the healing, she is unrecognizable.When she also behaves differently than usual, the boys suspect that anotherperson has taken their mother’s place.

13:14. The Challenge of Helping (2022)

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Direction: Santiago Fabregas | cast : Eugenio Derbez, Juanpa Zurita, Pambo, JérômeJarre

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Juanpa Zurita is a young influencer who uses his platform to raise funds torebuild Ocuilan, a small town near Mexico City that was completely destroyedafter an earthquake at 1:14 PM on September 19, 2017. His intentions are good,but easy. is it not.

mining coLinear television viewing is increasingly a thing of the past. Adecoder is therefore no longer a must, because nowadays you can also watch TVonline or via an app. It is often perfectly possible to omit your decoder fromyour subscription, and that saves on your bill for internet and TV.Mijntelco.be shows you what you can save.

By Felix Ferret, in collaboration with Mijntelco 19-09-22, 10:01

Latest update: 10:11

Telenet recorded about 50,000 fewer TV customers last year. Fewer and fewerpeople watch linear TV, but do so online via streaming when it suits them.Today, the various telecom players are trying to respond to this need byoffering online TV via an app as an alternative. In that case you no longerneed a decoder. If you opt for online TV via streaming, the choice of yourcorresponding internet subscription is important, and more specifically thespeed of your internet.

‘ Regular television’ or streaming: These are the main differences.

Limited number of channels

Especially for those who only watch a limited number of channels, watching TVonline is an interesting option. For example, Telenet and Orange now offer theoption of adding TV without a decoder to your subscription. Their bundles alsoinclude unlimited high-speed internet, which is a must for high-definitionstreaming on multiple devices at once.

In addition to the flexibility and the ability to watch different channels ondifferent devices at the same time, watching TV online offers otheradvantages. This way you can rewatch programs if you missed the start, andwatch recordings up to 60 days later, wherever and whenever you want.

Also watch: These are the 10 cheapest subscriptions for those who stream alot.

orange

When it comes to internet speed, Orange is the undisputed frontrunner in thisstory. The Orange TV Lite package includes online TV and internet at speeds ofup to 400 Mbps. You can watch TV via the Orange TV Plus app, which youdownload on your smart TV or on another device. You can enjoy twenty channels,including the most popular Flemish and French-language channels.

For Orange TV Lite you pay 8.50 euros per month. By way of comparison: anyonewho adds TV to his package via a decoder pays 17 euros per month. Combine yourTV Lite with fast internet from Orange, which gives you internet speeds of upto 100 Mbps, and the monthly final amount for TV and internet is EUR 50.50.

Within many families, streaming is not only limited to online TV, movies andseries are also streamed, often on different devices at the same time. In thatcase, Orange TV Lite with super-fast internet is a better choice. For 59.50euros per month you can enjoy online TV and internet with speeds of up to 400Mbps.

Telenet

Telenet also comes with an offer that allows you to watch television without adecoder. With TV flow, you can watch TV without a Telenet TV box, viastreaming. You then watch online TV on your smart TV or via the Telenet app onanother device. You can choose from fourteen Flemish channels.

For TV flow you do have to make a combination in your package with All-Internet from Telenet, with which you can enjoy unlimited internet at speedsof up to 300 Mbps. For All-Internet and TV flow together you pay 67.62 eurosper month. If you decide to watch TV with a decoder, you pay 87.12 euros permonth. If you use a decoder, high internet speeds are less important andTelenet’s Easy Internet is sufficient in most cases. You pay 60.85 per monthfor the Easy Internet and TV iconic package.

Proximus

Today, Proximus also offers Pickx the option to watch TV wherever and wheneveryou want on your favorite device. Pickx is standard included in your Flexpack. It offers you one central platform for live TV with eighty channels,streaming, and movies and series on demand. A decoder remains included in yourpackage. For a Flex pack with unlimited surfing up to 100 Mbps you pay 63.99euros per month.

Million dollar huntWith an offer of 314,000 euros in _Million dollar hunt_many people would have gone home satisfied, but the 61-year-old Bertha couldnot resist the temptation last night and let herself be carried away foranother round. Her courage was rewarded: she left for home in front of morethan 1.3 million viewers with almost half a million euros. “I’m so happy withthis,” she exclaimed.

In the third episode of the new season of Million dollar hunt last night,61-year-old Bertha stood behind the well-known desk next to Linda de Mol.Unlike many candidates who preceded her, she chose for no reason a briefcase,number 26. Prize money would be more than welcome: Bertha wanted to pay offher daughter’s student debt of 12,000 euros. De Mol asked whether she also hadsomething in mind for herself if she would win a nice amount. A new kitchenwould be nice, but Bertha had one dream that made her eyes twinkle. ,,A camperseems great to me.”

And so Bertha, who accompanies young people with dementia in daily life,started playing with the suitcases in good spirits. The first round didn’t gotoo well for her. For example, 500,000 euros fell off, but the 2.5 millioneuros also disappeared from the list. The first offer from the bank wastherefore not very exciting: 47,000 euros. Bertha didn’t mind.

Stop

The second round went a lot better. ,,What a top round, he was great’, De Molexulted, as she summed up the amounts in the right row. Another bid followed,this time for 99,000 euros, but Bertha didn’t like that either. Once again,briefcases with favorable low amounts were played away and the 5 million wasstill present, but Bertha remained sober. “We’re not there yet”, she respondedto the enthusiastic De Mol.

The game progressed and there were fewer and fewer briefcases left. The bankcame up with an attractive offer of 314,000 euros. This caused Bertha to havedoubts: to stop or to continue? Her daughter, a friend and much of theaudience advised Bertha to stop, but her curiosity won out in the end. “Let’stry it”, she took the gamble.

Bertha then played the 1 million away, but the 5 million stunner was still inone of the briefcases. The bank responded to this, because Bertha received anoffer of 488,000 euros. That was when she chose eggs for her money. “Deal,”she exclaimed. A good choice, because her own briefcase turned out to contain’only’ a thousand euros.

And so Bertha left with 488,000 euros, with which she can pay off herdaughter’s student debt, but also finally buy her dream camper. “I’m so happywith this,” he said enthusiastically.

The Voice

Two weeks ago, De Mol returned to television after months of absence with_Million dollar hunt_. In January of this year she stopped all her activitiesafter it became known that her now ex-partner Jeroen Rietbergen was accused ofsexually transgressive behavior behind the scenes at The Voicemail e orHolland. She was also not on the cover of her magazine for months Linda.

Bertha and Linda de Mol in Million Hunt. © Talpa

Have you looked too? You can respond at the bottom of this article. Only comments with a full namewill be posted. We do that because we want a debate with people who stand forwhat they say, and who put their name on it. If you still need to enter yourname, you can do so by clicking ‘Login’ at the top right of our site.

Also listen to the AD Media Podcast with this week ‘s Evening Show by ArjenLubach, the riot around B&B Vol Liefde, the mediocre scores of RTL and themany talk shows. Listen below or subscribe via Spotify or iTunes.

Million dollar huntWith an offer of 314,000 euros in _Million dollar hunt_many people would have gone home satisfied, but the 61-year-old Bertha couldnot resist the temptation last night and let herself be carried away foranother round. Her courage was rewarded: she left for home in front of morethan 1.3 million viewers with almost half a million euros. “I’m so happy withthis,” she exclaimed.

In the third episode of the new season of Million dollar hunt last night,61-year-old Bertha stood behind the well-known desk next to Linda de Mol.Unlike many candidates who preceded her, she chose for no reason a briefcase,number 26. Prize money would be more than welcome: Bertha wanted to pay offher daughter’s student debt of 12,000 euros. De Mol asked whether she also hadsomething in mind for herself if she would win a nice amount. A new kitchenwould be nice, but Bertha had one dream that made her eyes twinkle. ,,A camperseems great to me.”

And so Bertha, who accompanies young people with dementia in daily life,started playing with the suitcases in good spirits. The first round didn’t gotoo well for her. For example, 500,000 euros fell off, but the 2.5 millioneuros also disappeared from the list. The first offer from the bank wastherefore not very exciting: 47,000 euros. Bertha didn’t mind.

Stop

The second round went a lot better. ,,What a top round, he was great’, De Molexulted, as she summed up the amounts in the right row. Another bid followed,this time for 99,000 euros, but Bertha didn’t like that either. Once again,briefcases with favorable low amounts were played away and the 5 million wasstill present, but Bertha remained sober. “We’re not there yet”, she respondedto the enthusiastic De Mol.

The game progressed and there were fewer and fewer briefcases left. The bankcame up with an attractive offer of 314,000 euros. This caused Bertha to havedoubts: to stop or to continue? Her daughter, a friend and much of theaudience advised Bertha to stop, but her curiosity won out in the end. “Let’stry it”, she took the gamble.

Bertha then played the 1 million away, but the 5 million stunner was still inone of the briefcases. The bank responded to this, because Bertha received anoffer of 488,000 euros. That was when she chose eggs for her money. “Deal,”she exclaimed. A good choice, because her own briefcase turned out to contain’only’ a thousand euros.

And so Bertha left with 488,000 euros, with which she can pay off herdaughter’s student debt, but also finally buy her dream camper. “I’m so happywith this,” he said enthusiastically.

The Voice

Two weeks ago, De Mol returned to television after months of absence with_Million dollar hunt_. In January of this year she stopped all her activitiesafter it became known that her now ex-partner Jeroen Rietbergen was accused ofsexually transgressive behavior behind the scenes at The Voicemail e orHolland. She was also not on the cover of her magazine for months Linda.

Bertha and Linda de Mol in Million Hunt. © Talpa

Have you looked too? You can respond at the bottom of this article. Only comments with a full namewill be posted. We do that because we want a debate with people who stand forwhat they say, and who put their name on it. If you still need to enter yourname, you can do so by clicking ‘Login’ at the top right of our site.

Also listen to the AD Media Podcast with this week ‘s Evening Show by ArjenLubach, the riot around B&B Vol Liefde, the mediocre scores of RTL and themany talk shows. Listen below or subscribe via Spotify or iTunes.

He has been a regular player in the Concertgebouw for decades. And yet aconcert conducted by the Hungarian conductor Iván Fischer (71) is alwayssurprising – in sound, structure or both. Last season, after 35 years ofcollaboration, Fischer became ‘honorary guest conductor’ of the ConcertgebouwOrchestra. About 40 years ago he founded his own Budapest Festival Orchesta inBudapest as a testing ground for experiments. This weekend offered the uniqueopportunity to listen to him on two successive evenings with both orchestras –and then also twice in Beethoven.

It was a tasting with fair starting qualifications. Both top orchestras are(with Fischer) tried and tested in Beethoven. In Amsterdam the entire symphonycycle was sounded live, with Budapest Fischer recorded them.

meaty applause

Beethoven’s Fifth sounded on Friday in the Concertgebouw Orchestra’smasterpiece series ‘Essentials’ in front of a packed hall. The average age wasaround thirty, at least one generation younger than normal – if not two. Eventhe applause sounded different; meatier. But that was just the beginning ofthe surprises.

Fischer, a pedigree educator who also speaks Dutch fluently through a previousmarriage, seized the opportunity to guide the audience through Beethoven’ssymphonic development with charming lay talks.

How shocking are those tragic opening notes of the Fifth (ta-ta-ta-taaa!!)actually? You got it after the orchestra played the opening passages of thefour preceding symphonies in a flash – with Fischer as commentator. “I knowmany people who always feel rushed,” he said of the first part (two thousandsighs of recognition). “This music is about that. She beats us! You now getmusic that scares you.”

The performance was excellent; clear, carried-out lilting in the ‘Andante'(“Listen now to Beethoven’s soul…”) and gossamer polyphony at the joyfulconclusion, with a stately, late rise of the trombones as an extra effect.

Orchestral fraternization

One drawback: because of the speeches you missed the larger-scale ecstasy that_Third Symphony_ Saturday was realized by the Budapest Festival Orchestra(BFO). There were two carefully chosen appetizers: Louis Andriessens indemocratic anti-aesthetic, which seems a bit dated Workers Union (1975) andMozart’s heavily played Concerto for Two Pianos with Arthur and Lucas Jussen,which garnered even more acclaim for the Fledermaus -fantasy; an extremelysuccessful encore, also in the tour that will follow, sponsored by the Dutchembassy.

Now the comparison could begin. Of course, music is not a competition, butwhen do you hear one conductor perform Beethoven with two orchestras?

Observation one: the BFO has something endearingly unruly. In the openingmovement of Beethoven’s Third the scales still remained closed, although thetransparency of the fast string figures aroused admiration here too. But itgot much better. The sound of the double bass group, arranged in the centerback, was unheard of, but of a velvety feel that caressed the ears all the wayto the back of the hall. Also striking: swelling figures in the strings hungdeep in the string. That characteristic and the fierce timbre of the horngroup made the ‘Scherzo’ a sensual pleasure. At the very end, the BFO sectionswere reinforced by 17 Concertgebouw Orchestra musicians. The music didn’t needit, but the effect was nevertheless spectacular.

The reverse stunt will follow in Budapest next week: Hungarian musicians willthen join the Concertgebouw Orchestra. After that, we have to wait for evenmore musical fraternization for Fischer’s return in February; then you can sitin the orchestra as a listener, shoulder to shoulder with the musicians.

Britt van Rij (18) and Carolijn van Straaten (19) quickly arrange theirclothes before entering the main hall of the Rotterdam pop stage Annabel. Thenumber Wild Thoughts by Rihanna blares from the speakers, but neither ofthem wear hearing protection.

‘My father has to do that,’ says Van Rij. “But good earplugs are expensive andthey don’t fit well.” Then rather a ring in the ears when she is in bed aftergoing out. “I have that often enough,” she says. ‘Always, actually’, adds VanStraaten. ‘Very interesting,’ says Van Rij.

The laconic attitude towards hearing damage is shared by many visitors whocome to the danceable hits in Annabel on Saturday evening. This is in starkcontrast to the urgent appeal from ear doctors, hearing care professionals andthe Hoormij patient association. They believe that the sound in nightlifevenues, concert halls and festivals should be softer. Hearing specialists seean increase in the number of young people knocking on the door with tinnitusdue to noise damage. This is due to loud music in the nightlife, but also, forexample, due to headphones at too high a volume.

Medical student Kate Frenzen (21) has learned all about it. Between 1 and 2million Dutch people suffer from tinnitus. In 50 thousand of them, theringing, ringing or whistling in their ears is so bad that it takes over theirlives. Yet she has forgotten her earplugs. ‘I can immediately see all dyinghearing cells in front of me. But yeah, now I’m not going back home.’

Responsible volume

In 2018, the government agreed with festivals, music venues, studentassociations, cinemas and gyms that they would limit the noise level to 103decibels. That covenant expires on December 7, and that is an excellent momentto adjust the standard, according to the Dutch Association for Ear-Nose-Eyeology. The volume of the music should not exceed 100 decibels. The nightcatering industry, which did not sign the covenant four years ago, should alsobelieve in a responsible volume. State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen of Health,Welfare and Sport is awaiting advice from the Health Council in Novemberbefore taking any measures.

‘Even at 100 decibels you will incur damage without hearing protection’, saysHenri Marres, professor of ENT surgery at Radboud University and chairman ofthe ENT doctors’ association. ‘Earplugs muffle the sound by about 15 to 20decibels. At a limit of 100 decibels, you fall, with earplugs in, just withinthe safe range of 80 to 85 decibels. That is the limit set by the WorkingConditions Act: at more than 85 decibels you are obliged to wear hearingprotection.’

Just below the speakers in Annabel, Karel Brand (23) is dancing exuberantly.He is one of the few in the room whose ears sparkle with earplugs. “Hearingdamage is no joke,” he says. ‘I don’t feel like tinnitus’. Robert Stokroos,professor of ear surgery at the University Medical Center Utrecht, doubtswhether there are actually more young people who suffer from tinnitus. Thefigures are difficult to compare, because there is little data from the past.’Nevertheless, there is no question that tinnitus is a major problem and thatprevention is necessary.’

Turning back the volume knob is not the solution, says Ramon de Lima, nightmayor of Amsterdam. Three notches softer doesn’t seem like much, but thedecibel scale is logarithmic. This means that a reduction of three decibels isequivalent to halving the sound pressure, reducing sound perception by 20percent. ‘This makes the experience of a club night completely different’,says De Lima. ‘When the sound becomes much weaker, you no longer feel thevibrations of the bass in your body and the buzz drowns out the music. In anightclub you have to be able to lose yourself in the music on a swirlingdance floor.’

That’s exactly what happens after midnight at Poing nightclub, a stone’s throwfrom Annabel. Under red fluorescent tubes, a crowd of people moves to thetrance beats that Dj CyberFairy777 – with white elf wings on his back – pumpsinto the hall. The sound thumps against the eardrums.

At the bar is Lindsay (25), who for privacy reasons prefers not to use herlast name in the newspaper. She unfolds her hand. In her palm lie two clearearplugs. “Tailor-made,” she says. “All my friends wear them too. I’m tryingto become a DJ, so it’s important that I hear well.’ It is better to invest ingood earplugs than to lower the volume, she thinks. ‘That way I still feel thebass in my chest, and without it I feel empty.’

‘Compare it with smoking’

‘It sounds edifying’, says professor Marres, ‘but we have to get rid of theconviction that going out is not complete without loud noise. Everyone shouldrecognize that some things are exaggerated. To limit tinnitus, the public hasto change its behavior: stand less close to the speakers, always wear earplugsand give the ears a rest now and then. Legislation for a lower volume createslittle support, that should be a last measure.’ Compare it with smoking, saysprofessor Stokroos. ‘In the past, cigarettes were everywhere on the table, butthirty years later that is unthinkable. People must now also become aware ofthe consequences of loud noise.’

In Poing, that consciousness slowly penetrates. “When I woke up this morningto last night’s ringing in my ears, I was still thinking about buying caps,”says Garry Satisfied (40). ‘Because now that I think about it, it’s kind ofweird: I carefully select my sunglasses for the right strength and fit, but Idon’t pay attention to my ears.’