bicyclemark

A Day With an Amsterdam Cop

Generally speaking, simply based on some odd experiences, I don’t trust police in Amsterdam. That’s a big generalization, I know. But it’s truth. Maybe it’s because my paperwork isn’t exactly in order, or maybe it’s because I run lots of red lights on my bike, but I generally keep a look out at all times for police, so that I can ride away and not towards them.

Then today I somehow spent the afternoon with a real Amsterdam police officer.

I was helping escort some new fishtank students, who were having a guided tour of their very special neighborhood – Bickerseiland. And this area happens to be his beat. Naturally I was initially suspicious, with his shaved head, tall stature, and beard – I thought he would be a bland, everything-by-the-book kind of guy. But I walked on, and very soon, we got to talking.
He seemed pleased to interact with me in Dutch, and to find that I’ve been living here for several years. Then he pointed proudly towards an old warehouse that had clearly been converted into some sort of theater. “This is where we rehearse, my theater group.” I was so caught off guard I asked him to repeat himself — your what? – “My theater group,” he said, like it was perfectly logical. “We’re there several nights of week, and our play just opened, it’s about the relationship between Dutch police and Moroccan Youth. “

I kept looking back and forth, from this mild mannered police officer and his intimidating leather police jacket, to the modest theater and the world of art that it might contain. My assumptions about Dutch police were smashed in those few minutes.

He seemed excited to tell about it… “That’s why I have this beard! I play an Imam.“ I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. He noticed and smiled back, “On opening night there was a school group with some Moroccan teens, afterwards one came up to me and told me my character was exactly like his father.. even my clothes!”

From there we wandered throught the island and he told amazing stories. Stopping often to pet a local dog or knock on random doors to introduce local artists, politicians, shipbuilders, and the guy who runs the petting zoo. The quintessential neighborhood police officer, everybody knows his name and waves hello. Occasionally he asked about me, and how I had come to live in Amsterdam. I seemed to listen with one ear and scan the sounds of the street with the other, I kept thinking – this guy is good at what he does.

The afternoon ended with us going to a local pub, where he drank a few coffees while showing me photos on his mobile phone, “this is me dressed as a woman in the last play I did…. oh you should have seen the look on the shopkeeper’s face when I walked into her shop in full uniform asking for women’s shoes.”

After lots more stories about the neighborhood and the police department in general, he gave me his card, and urged me to come see the play. I told him about the podcast, and he agreed to be interviewed on a future show about his play and the issues it addresses.

I left the café with a whole different view of Dutch cops. Suddenly they’re human to me. Still, on the way home, I took only sidestreets… no sense in getting pulled over to ruin the moment.

bm104 Cheney’s Cronies

This is a very sloppy background into who Cheney was hunting with and what connections they have and the ethical questions involved. Also it’s an analysis of how the press has focused on the talking points and the smaller points instead of asking hard questions about how Cheney hides things from the public and illegally secures contracts and jobs for his friends.

AudioCommunique #104 (mp3)

Discussed:

This didn’t turn out as I intended.. hard to draw conclusions
White House Press is putting pressure but on the wrong issues
Hilarious Press conference on the shooting
Who are the members of the VP’s hunting club… and who are they connected to
The question of Halliburton

A brief message and song in memory of Gussie

Music:

Gil Scott-Heron – WashingtonDC
Jurassic 5 – High Fidelity
Warren Zevon – Lawyers, Guns, and Money
Billy Bragg – Red Flag
Clash – Im so bored with the USA
Death Cab for Cutie – What Sarah Said

show on the ship breaking industry of India, this weekend…

Old Media Habits Die Hard

Like many of you, I have my podcast listening habits. They include probably about 30 podcasts that Im subscribed to, 4-5 of which are essential for how I get my news and commentary about what is happenning in the world. Naturally I hope the topics they cover will be diverse, interesting, in-depth, etc. Often they are. But when something is all over the news, they usually all get into it at the same time.

M goes So in the last 2 weeks, with the story of the prophet mohammed comics (praise be to goddess), my core of podcasts has been all over it. Which is fine. But what occurred to me, as I listened to the 4th interview in 4 days with the Angry Arab Newservice blogger, is that these programs use a similar pack mentality as the mainstream does. What I mean is; they rely on the same sources, even when it comes to blogs!

This is disturbing to me as a journalist, blogger, and podcaster. One of the key differences between the blogosphere and the monoculture mainstream is that on the internet we have a plurality of voices and resources. Unfortunately this is still a relatively new concept, and many of those working in media were raised with the old pack mentality, and they still fall back on it. That’s how we get A-List bloggers who dominate the discussions online, or so we think. That’s why when I say Daily Kos, Instapundit, or HuffingtonPost, you know who Im talking about. It is these people that have been magically granted legitimacy from traditional media, they get the interview requests and the quotes in the washingtonpost. And as I mentioned, when this happens, they are unknowingly or knowingly trying to limit the amount of voices that can be heard, and putting the traditional limits on who can be part of the conversation.

I say it’s a mistake. Especially from programs that I respect very much and will never stop listening to, like Radio Open Source, On the Media, or DemocracyNow. I will personally call them on it when I see them comitting this error. and to the rest of the blogosphere, I urge you to break down the A-B-C lists, look beyond what you’re told is a big name, seek out what interests you and what captures your attention, regardless of how big or small they might be.

and for the love of allah, interview someone besides hoder or the angry arab, the man deserves a break, and there are plenty of good middle east based bloggers you can contact, like Miss Mubarak, Sabbah, or Beirut Spring.

First World Garbage

Fighting off a fever, I’ve been researching what is rarely discussed yet a huge issue in the world. Where do all those first world ships; cruise liners, war ships, etc., where do they go when they’re too old?

Perhaps you’ve never thought about it. Maybe you’ve even sailed on one of those mickey mouse cruises, and while playing shuffle board the thought of one day having to dispose of this ship never crossed your mind. But it has to be done. And worst of all, lots of these ships leave a very dirty and dangerous legacy.

I’m still doing prelimenary research for my podcast on this subject, but one important place to start with is Alang, India. This is a place where breaking down ships is a big industry. And unfortanately as a side effect, workers have to endure some very dangerous factors, like asbestos or whatever chemicals they’re exposed to from these ships. And of course, not only are the workers in danger, but the environment and the community as well. But there you have it, that is their major industry, send your rust buckets from the first world, and they will break them down, with minimal questions.

But then there’s the Clemenceau, a former french warship filled with a uncertain quantity of asbestos. And there are treaties that say you can’t transport toxins from France to a developing nation. And the supreme court of India now wants some answers and so does greenpeace. Lots of interests collide on this one. No clear answers. My biggest question is – are we now building boats that won’t destroy the planet and it’s people when it comes time to break them down?

Cruel World

Tonight I am in a great deal of pain.

It has nothing to do with snowboarding.

Tonight I came home from a weekend of isolation to find someone very special died.

I didn’t know him, and yet I knew him.

That fact alone upsets me.

He was the a partner of a amazingly inspiring friend who I love very much.

Life is so strange.

I was snowboarding down this little path today where the snow had not yet been touched,
I slowed down for a second, and in that second the board sunk into the snow throwing me softly on my back. The snow was so deep I couldn’t get up in my first two attempts. So there I lay, staring up at a beautiful sky with a hint of sun and snowflakes landing on my nose. I wasn’t thinking of him, I wasn’t thinking of anything. I started smiling, it felt good to be alive. I felt nothing.

And then I thought of the majority of the world that doesn’t have this good fortune that I do. Those who live in poverty. In warzones. In desperation. Suddenly the nothingness subsided into frustration and anger. Why do these ironies exist? Is this really life? Why do we allow it to work this way?

Sure plenty of things are unavoidable. But so many things in this world are created by we the occupants of this planet.

I just remembered saturday, when he died… where I was. I was angry and feeling sick. For some reason, lack of energy, strength, or concentration, I couldn’t hang on to the lift. I kept falling. Again I see irony. While I was fussing, being miserable and lonely, while hiking up endless hills of beautiful white snow, his struggle with sickness was ending.

And just to add to the irony, I come home to a safe and warm home, read about what has happenned, and decide that writing about this in my weblog is somehow noble.

The world is a perposterous place, filled with terrible irony. I’m part of those ironies, in some form. And just stating that does not magically exempt me from responsibility. Nor should it for you.

– in loving memory –
Juan Montealegre, August 28, 1966 – February 11, 2006

bm103 Zionism, Liberation, and Oppression

Growing up in Berlin during Hitler, then moving to British controlled Palestine, witnessing the creation of the Israeli state, Hanna Braun talks about the underlying agenda and the undeniable hypocracy therein.

AudioCommunique #103 (mp3)

In this show:

Edward Said on Finding the Truth
The way Arabs are drawn now, the was Jews were then = history repeating itself
Germany in the 30’s
Palestine and the zionists
The dream of a secular state
Defence Force, Paramilitary, and the use of violence
Evictions and clearing of villages
Ben Gurion, Ariel Sharon, etc.
Opposing Voices not allowed, Leaving Israel
Education
Activism

Music:

Edith Piaf – Jerusalem
Alpha Blonde – Jerusalem

I’m off to Winterberg, Germany again.. to practice my snowboarding and drink hot cocoa.