Today's papers are a bit of a mixed bag: silly season isn't in full swing yet but as parliament is in recess, there's not a lot going on in the Netherlands; if Dutch poet Simon Vinkenoog hadn't died on Sunday morning, today's pickings would be very slim indeed.
 
Dutch literary giant Simon Vinkenoog dies
All of this morning's papers have a photograph of Simon Vinkenoog on the front page and most of them devote several pages to the man known as 'the Dutch beat poet'. Since his breakthrough in 1948, he has been a giant figure on the Dutch cultural landscape and has been credited with introducing poetry as a performing art form to the Netherlands. NRC.next headlines its coverage with "always in the literary front line," and characterised him as someone who wanted to experience everything.
 
AD describes Vinkenoog as "a poet and writer of swinging sentences and inspired words," and asks, "poet, writer, cultural historian, philosopher, biographer, TV producer, hippie, dancer, marijuana grower, performer, teacher, father, lover and husband. What didn't he do?" He will be sorely missed.
 
Deputy PM criticises cabinet but opposition not impressed
Dutch MPs are enjoying their summer recess and the cabinet has gone on holiday, but before setting off for his holiday home in France, Deputy Prime Minister André Rouvoet - leader of the right-wing Christian Union - fired a parting shot across the cabinet's bow in an interview with the Saturday edition of the populist broadsheet De Telegraaf.
 
According to the deputy prime minister, "we have not achieved enough," adding "ordinary people think that we're far too involved with things that do not directly affect them or help them". Mr Rouvoet concludes, "we'll have to work harder after the summer recess". His open criticism of the cabinet hasn't won him many friends though; AD covers the opposition's response: "Rouvoet should do some work himself for a change" headlines the populist tabloid.
 
The paper writes that the opposition is in complete agreement with the deputy PM's assessment that the cabinet has achieved far too little. VVD MP Edith Schippers says, "He's absolutely right, the cabinet doesn't done enough". Socialist Party leader Agnes Kant tells the paper, "working hard won't do much good, this cabinet just doesn't understand what ordinary people need".
 
Security measures at Amsterdam taxi ranks a huge success
Taxis in Amsterdam have long been a source of trouble and various measures to alleviate the problems, which range from price gouging, fraud, manipulation of the meters, taking tourists on the longest possible route, refusing fares, rudeness and fist fights between drivers for rival firms, have singularly failed.
 
However, new measures introduced in the wake of last week's murder of a passenger by a taxi driver have proved extremely popular. Police are now allowed to ban taxi drivers who misbehave from taxi ranks in the city centre and a security firm has been hired to make sure things run smoothly.
 
"Everybody is happy with the security guards at the taxi ranks" writes de Volkskrant. The left-wing paper interviews a number of taxi drivers at ranks across the city and the general consensus seems to be, "finally, something has been done to stop the price gouging and fist fights".
 
Economic crisis hits Premier League
Dutch footballers are on holiday but that doesn't keep football off AD’s front page: "Recession hits Premier League, " screams the populist tabloid's headline. The paper devotes half its front page to the story plus a few pages in its sports pullout. According to the paper, six clubs in the Dutch top division have less money to spend this year and several others are having trouble meeting their budgets.
 
However, the paper also reports that the 18 Premier League clubs will spend 408.2 million euros this coming season, certainly not a sum to be sneezed at. According to Heracles chairman Jan Smit, "six months ago everybody was behaving as though the economic crisis wouldn't hit professional football clubs," adding "maybe it's not so bad, players' salaries are still far too high". I'd have to agree with that.
 
Dutch holidaymakers take a little bit of home with them
It's definitely the beginning of silly season: AD reports the results of a survey conducted by an online automobile insurance company says that almost half of Dutch holidaymakers driving to their vacation destinations cannot leave the house without taking typical Dutch food products with them, including cheese, liquorice and chocolate sprinkles.
 
A whopping 56 percent take sandwiches and 37 percent take peanut butter with them. Oddly enough, it appears that more than 50 percent take toilet paper with them on holiday. I assume they're afraid that one cannot buy it in foreign parts. Most peculiar.