September 2005 – Citizen Reporter

Blonde But Gone

This post is about ex-pat life and the people who make up your life. Actually it doesn’t matter if you’re an expat, I’m sure where ever you live, you’re in the business of surrounding yourself with people you admire, enjoy, learn from, and just plain feel like “your people”. For many, family is a good source of this as well… unconditional love, I think they call it.

So as expats or anyone living too far from their family, those people you allow into your life and who’s life you’re allowed into, they act as more than just those you like to hit the town and drink one down with… they are vital components of who you are and the manner with which you go through life. They are your second family. And anytime one of those family members leaves, even if it isn’t forever, a part of you leaves as well.

Too dramatic, you think? It’s normal in an international city, says you? Perhaps. But last night the Mindcaster, myself, and some other friends, celebrated in honor of the departure of the great BlondeButBright. The famed blogger, academic, feminist, social critic, and pigeon hater. We joked and danced and even drank a bit, I think to both soak in some last moments for many months and to mask some of the sadness to see our friend go.

Fear not Amsterdam, BBB will certainly be back in 2006, refreshed and ready to once again take this town by storm. Until then, we’ll always have incriminating photos to make us smile thinking of that last crazy autumn night.

Bonus: The beginning of the end for the worst congress

Additional post today: Print this one out, pass it out at school, examine it with the class instead of the usual crap about old white dudes with grey whigs.

Eat this fresh indictment PDF, and beware to all those corrupt congresspeople in both parties, you’re next!

bicyclemark70: Whats Happening in Darfur?

An important interview with a friend who just returned from the refugee camps on the border with Darfur, Sudan.

AudioCommunique #70(mp3)
27min+, 80kbps, 15Mb+

Subjects Include:
Donahue
Is my show about Amsterdam or World Affairs – a response to listener mail
An interview with my friend Fannie direct from Montreal
A recommendation for action

Music Includes: (im tired of the amazon associates links)
Orchestre Baobab – La Rebellion
Phillip Glass and Ravi Shankar – Offering
Coheed & Cambria – Wake Up

My Ho Chi Min Trail

There was one specific New Jersey summer, when I was 16, that I picked up a copy of “On Revolution” – selected writings of Ho Chi Min. The book was 25 cents, and I recognized the name as one of those personalities from history that public school education teaches you was basically evil. Of course I was a skeptical kid, -still am-, so I knew I had to read the words of this alleged tyrant.

Though many of my memories from that year may have faded a bit, I still remember that book and how it captured my mind and my heart. Nevermind if you like him or don’t like him. Nevermind the good or bad he may have done in his life, I’m speaking about the person that came through in that book. To me, those words were filled with passion and dedication to basic principles, about the right of people not to be colonized or enslaved, and also to determine their own collective future. A bigger point that stood out for me, was how he spoke about patriotism. I can’t remember the exact quote, but I think it was that the greatest crimes in the history of the world have been committed in the name of patriotism.

That statement has always stuck with me throughout my life. I had always found all the flag waving and patriotism in the US unsettling. I actually felt a similar odd feeling when I lived in France and observed the patriotism that sometimes shows its face there. And when I look at this so called “WAr on Terrorism” and all the propoganda that comes with it, I can’t help but think of Ho Chi Min’s simple but often ignored conclusion.- The greatest crimes in the history of the world, continue to be commited in the name of patriotism.

By the way I’ve finally gotten back into reading Back To Iraq which is one of the best and first sources of blog journalism in Iraq.

Polish Doublemint Twins Take Election

Something should be said about the Polish elections, cause Poland is a big country, a new EU member, with a truely stubborn national spirit (I love stubborn populations!). I figure when you have such a violent and abused history as a nation, the effects will be felt for generations, in many different ways.

Twins Trouble is, I’m not a Polish politics expert. Though I do keep an eye on Valesa’s son, who did get elected into parliament a few days ago, I had only read an article or two about the twins who are poised to become Prime Minister and President from the “law and justice” party. Can you just picture how the Bush family must be hard at work trying to get the same kind of deal. I mean they got the twins already.

I digress – Polish elections: They say its a shift to the “right” because the “left” is corrupt. They also say the L and J party will tackle unemployment and reforms. Myself I’m skeptical any party in Poland could properly handle problems that are deeply rooted traditions more then they are sudden crises. Or perhaps Im wrong, was the Polish social and economic scene doing well at some point? Communism, capitalism, fascism… my heart goes out to them cause regular Poles always seem to get skrewed.

Here’s one journalist who’s blog I should read more closely and covers the elections quite well. Of course you can also consult the Beeb. And lastly, I haven’t listened to it or checked it thoroughly, but this report looks nice and grassroots.

Message versus Presentation

I was having brunch in the presence of these sunflowers and lots of international friends reunited. During the passing of the salad and the eating of the croissants I mentioned the blog post of mine the other day about the world bank and the response it received. In case you don’t remember, one of the many WB people who read this blog (yes im serious) left a comment encouraging me to join the discussion at the official organization’s blog.

So I went over to the blog like a good internaut, and I left a paragraph about the state of the world and the questions I ask about the Bank’s objectives and methods. I guess within that paragraph i may have used a word like suck or shit, probably because it was the word that best fit the point I was making. I actually don’t remember if I used either, all I know is that I received a response from the webmaster saying that my comments could not be published because the language “does not meet publishing regulations“. To which I should have responded = Your Publishing Rules Suck Ass.

Someone at the table challenged my lunacy and said — “wouldn’t it be more practical to just take the curse word out and send your comments again so they can be heard?” To which I responded with my best childhood stubbornness…. NO. But he went to pose a great question for idealists and excessively proud people like myself — “If you show up to a meeting somewhere, to make a point about something you believe, but because you dress in shitty clothes, no one takes you seriously; wouldn’t it be better to dress nice, and then be able to have your point heard?” To which I quietly responded — NO.

I get that feeling this attitude could be a problem.