Tag Archives: netherlands

On to the Final

This is not a blog about sports. Its about things I observe and world events. But tonight its sports.. at least briefly. I’ve just returned from “Sport-Club Os Lusitanos” where an enclave of about 100 Portuguese people took over the street, spilling out of the club that as I walked in, reeked of celebration and yes-sweat. Both of those the bi-products of a 2-1 victory of over non other than the country where I now live – Netherlands.

I loved the energy at the club and on the street, especially in comparison to the utter sadness and silence from most of Amsterdam, where Dutch fans seemed either shocked or just wanting to forget. To their credit, they were quite civil. People on the street noticed my shirt, some smirked, most shouted “Portugal!” and waved as if to say – “yeah you’re ok.” Either that or… “If I could Id knock you off that bike right now.”

Anyway.. in the final Im predicting Czech-Portugal… and as much as I love the Czechs… I want Portugal to win that one… what a sweet story that would be.

Back real life, keeping in mind that football is a fantasy and our lives don’t actually improve if our favorite team wins. Transparency International has released their annual survey on corruption and corrupt nations. I’ve been reading the stats… overall corruption in political parties is the biggest frustration for citizens worldwide. YET- In the United States, people surveyed didn’t believe their parties were corrupt!? The Republican and Democratic parties aren’t corrupt? Imagine that. I also noted the high concern for corruption in utility companies, especially in the developing world. If you consider most of the countries have their utilities controlled by foreign multinationals, that may be a clue as to who brings corruption.

I may soon take Jeff Jarvis’s Buzz Machine off my primary blogroll. I grow tired of reading him daily.. especially when he spends his time badmouthing leftists and denouncing Michael Moore as the devil. I can understand being critical.. I’m in favor of that. But Jarvis is getting to damn conservative… I could stand to read that maybe only once a week instead of daily.

Today’s Music: Bill Frisell – The Intercontinentals (loving it)

Midsummer Spending

Well it happenned. I didn’t want it to happen… but a few hours ago… it became reality that the Netherlands will face Portugal in the next round of the Euro. I can still hear the beep-beeping outside. I’ve talked enought about football lately, so Ill stop there.

So Michael Moore’s new film is out in the states. I looked it up, won’t arrive in here until late July. Stupid American-European distribution gap…. why was the Matrix able to come out on the same day world wide? At any rate, I’m enjoying the initial reactions from people, my good buddy in Queens told me that opening night people were clapping throughout the film (which could make one go crazy I suspect). He also said that at the end the audience gave it a standing ovation. Interesting. Still, I must acknowledge the backlash against this film and Moore in general. It’s hard to tell if its growing or not, but I see it often in the blogosphere.

I noticed the insane shopping list from the US Senate for military spending. Majikthise highlights the:



*$25 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

*$70 billion for planes, ships and weapons, “surpassing even the buildup of the 1980s”

*3.5% military pay raise along with increases in other benefits

*$10.2 billion for planned missile defense program, for which operational tests must begin in 2005

*Go-ahead for further research on 2 new nuclear weapons: a low-yield “mini-nuke” and a high-yield “bunker buster”



Any nation/group/individual that researches new nuclear weapons is insane. As usual I’m ashamed to be associated with such a government. Nevermind the overwhelming number of neglected children, elderly, and adults all over the US versus the money spent on “star wars”.. thats sort of a tradition. But seeking to produce the most destructive weapons the earth has ever seen, thats just baffling.

Today’s Music: Noir Desir – Des Visages des Figures

Radio Silence

Blogging from now on will be at random times, as I am now without net at the new place I will be calling home as of late this afternoon. I was unable to rent a bakfiets, which would be the bikes with the huge front loading capacity. I made a few phonecalls, called in a few favors, and I found a good friend with a car to drive me and my boxes across town… mental note: do even more favors than normal for people.

Washington Post is sporting a special interactive feature on Bush, his campaign donors, and key positions in his administration.(reg. required) It is cute. I would also qualify it as a bit too little too late. Apparently it has taken them four years to decide to do some investigative journalism. Careful now WP, don’t get all journalistic on us!

There’s much to say about European Elections. As you may have heard, something like 48% turned out, which I’m proud to say, I’m with the 52% non voters! That’s right! I’m fairly intellegent, very informed, and I excercise my right not to vote! Why? Because none of these candidates represent me, and I don’t much care for this type of western democracy. Well, on a more logistical note, I’m not registered to vote in the Netherlands yet. Next time I might get involved, but this year was my year of protest thru non-voting. Here’s an audio report on the elections results, for those who prefer their ears to their eyes.

Today’s Music: Jorge Palma – Ao Vivo (Portuguese.. good.)

Hippies to Puritans

A chance to sit down and interview the dean of the international school today, proved extra fun and interesting. It usually does whenever he and I get time to really chat. We were discussing the old buildings around Amsterdam which the school used to occupy. This was for an article I’m writing for my forthcoming first edition of the ISHSS Alumni Magazine. His tales of creative and crazy experiences in the various buildings pointed to one major conclusion: we’ve gone from free-spirited, rebelious, and exciting in the past, to regulation-fearing, uptight, blandness. I think it’s true for alot of things in this world. Like comparing te 60’s to the 90’s and 00’s…. from rule breakers to excessively obsessed with rules. I’d say he seemed nostalgic for those days, I know I was just listening to him.

Today I thought I’d provide a link to the so-called “investigation” of the prisoner abuse by American soldiers in Iraq. I read through the report, highly recommended for those with insomnia. When I awoke from reading this, I noted two conclusions:

1- They visited a prison.

2 – That between October and December 2003, at the Abu Ghraib Confinement Facility (BCCF), numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees. This systemic and illegal abuse of detainees was intentionally perpetrated by several members of the military police guard force (372nd Military Police Company, 320thMilitary Police Battalion, 800th MP Brigade), in Tier (section) 1-A of the Abu Ghraib Prison (BCCF).

What baffles me even more is the International Red Cross’s position of “neutrality.” Apparently, they say they’ve known about the abuses for a long time, but didn’t feel it was appropriate to make noise about it. How is it being neutral mean keeping silent about humans being abused?

There is some good news out there, Three Bed Two Bath blog helped me discover Metro Blog maps! You see, they’re metro/subway maps of different cities, listing the blogs that originate at each station. YES! There’s a NYC, DC, Chicago, and I’m looking for more. Maybe I can put myself on a Netherlands or Europe blog map. I’ll start looking tomorrow.

Today’s Music: Gil-Scott Heron – Ghetto Style

Memorial and Liberation

Rememberence Day and Liberation Day, back to back here in the Netherlands. I think I didnt pay enough attention to it last year, however this year I was very aware of it. I made sure to tune into the broadcast of the ceremonies and the two minutes of silence at 20h CET. I was also capitivated by Amsterdam’s cable channel AT5 which showed old film reels from the 1940’s. It is really mindboggling what went on here. What haunts me even more is that I see, in the reels, those same streets and houses i walk by everyday. What haunts me even more is that 60 years later, there are still occupations taking place, mass killing, hatred, intolerance…. seems like much of the world hasn’t learned much at all. History seems to repeat itself… like Marx said.. ( was it him?) first as a tragedy, second as a farce. I see alot of farces among our world leaders.

A Canadian citizen has come forward in the scandal involving prisoner abuse by coalition soldiers. There are multiple photos involving multiple instances, something is definately going on. The pentagon said that soldiers were reprimanded for alleged abuses. If they’re being reprimanded, than I guess they aren’t alleged abuses are they? They’re quite real.

I was reading a poem on a great blog from an EMT in London. It’s about his boots, which have seen so much, from day-to-day. I thought it fitting to read on this a day with so much rememberence and reflection involving hatred, violence, life, death, pain, love and the overall grey history of the world.

Today’s Music: Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Streetcore

Grab your boats

Well, Queen’s day is upon us. 24 hours from now the canals will be filled with bumper to bumper boats, beer will flow through the streets, men everywhere will be urinating in public, pack-rats (Some of my friends as well) will be selling their old shit, and an all-encompassing orange party fog will consume the city. Thus is queen’s day. The real event of importance for me is the arrival of a wonderful friend from London. Together we will hopefully go to the World Press Photo exhibit.

I grow tired of xenophobia in general, but lately it is the UK that has shocked me with the fear of immigrants that the press seems to be alluding to. Immigrants are a vital part of their work force, as they are in the US, Germany, Netherlands, etc. Without this group of brave and modest people, the the UK’s- and the world’s- economy would collapse. Tony Blair should make this clear instead of trying to please the racist, ethnocentric types.

All this buzz because Saturday is May 1st, the day the European Union expands to 25 countries. I’ll post a special welcome for them all, because as a European Citizen, I’m happy to have them along. The more cultures the merrier, and the less borders the better. There’s nothing natural about these borders to begin with, ever stand on the Canadian-American or Belgian-Dutch border? What a plain feeling, a human-made border. Oceans, now those are borders!

Today’s Music: Tahiti 80 – 1,000 Times