bicyclemark

Retail Doctors and the Assault on Healthcare

Sore throat and feeling not so hot on this rainy Amsterdam morning. And before I begin my work chores, I wanted to rap about an issue that concerns me, thus far effecting the US and I believe the UK: Retail Clinics!

Never heard of them? Luck you, I’d say. Maybe you use them all the time? I’d love to hear some testimony. It was recently brought to my attention in the Financial Times and the Philly Inquirer that there’s a new trend in healthcare – sticking a quickie clinic in the back of department stores and ~~whore~~ whole sale clubs. Basically while you go in to buy toothpaste, potato chips, and some batteries… you can also go in the back and visit Dr. K-Mart who will diagnose you and send you on your way in 15 minutes. Wham-Bam-Thankyou’mam. And back you go to finish your shopping, maybe pick up some ice cream on your way to the check-out.

Not that I fear progress, mind you. I thought the emergence of drive-thru insurance was exciting! I love the I-pod, though I can’t afford one. But retail doctors? Is there a shortage of doctors and are doctors offices so bad that THIS is a good thing for people? Will these quickiemart MD’s really care about their patients? Does anyone in these stores actually give a shit about their customers?

Personally I hope they fail miserably. It is insulting the way these retail stores think the answer to the lack of social services and access to health care is that it simply be fit into a corner of their store, next to the pretzel vender and the 1-hour photo.

And now Im sure someone who loves minuteclinic will comment and condemn my questioning….

See me in Videos and Remixes

I’m so busy with editing, correcting, writing, and recording i can barely write a proper chaotic post like my usual self. My journey to Brussels was brief and extremely interesting. More information on that when you get older and your mom and I decide you’ve earned the responsibility. Now go to your room blogchildren.

What I can do is point you to a vlog starring me and my vlog/podcast pals in Utrecht last night. Also note that Ive opened my own vlog which will have random videos from my life. And if you listen to the excellent podcast in Japanese by Mr. Sugimoto, you will hear amazing sounds including me saying “modulation” in Portuguese, mixed in with many other voices in other languages. Listen to it and don’t worry if you dont understand Japanese, that isn’t the point. It’s pure musical fun.

bicyclemark81: Another Podcaster Visits the European Parliament

OK not really. But I’ve been in the neighborhood in the past 24 hours and this podcast was recorded whilst walking around the suburbs.

AudioCommunique #81(mp3)
22min+, 80kbps, 13Mb+

Discussed:

Reactions and Reflections on my Interview Style
Armistice Day in Belgium
Central Europe’s War Wisdom
Adam Curry’s Visit to the EU parliament
dutch podcast meetup today
Integration.. a word that annoys me
other odds and ends

Music — A bootleg I made. I can say no more about it.

Brazil’s Bestest Musician

I was going on and on about how great he is to my friends seated to my left, as I sat down in the shiney new fake leather seats at the new Bimhuis last night. I barely even took notice, in between my longwinded analysis of all-time greatest Brasilian musicians, that HE and his band had quietly taken their places.

“Which one is he?” asked my Colombian buddy, scanning the crew of four now in position to start the magic. I glanced quickly at all of them… recognized Paulo Braga.. drummer…the playful genius. And there he was, long hair and already strumming in that style that so reminds me of Bill Frisell if he suddenly turned Brazilian. I also remembered that trumpet playing percussionist from when I first saw them way back in 1998 in NYC. Can’t remember what club we were at. I just remember I liked some girl who I had gone there with, and when I arrived, excited to see her, there she was, alongside the man who she would then introduce as her fiancee. Ouch.

But fortunately for me back then, as now, there’s Vinicius. Vinicius can fix anything for me. I’m working oh so many jobs lately to push my career forward and give me some extra loot to fly to Cuba in a few months, and the music of Vinicius Cantuaria takes me away from all the websites and texts and emails that need answering. From the moment he starts off with Procissão.. Im groovin and wishing we weren’t so dutch and didn’t have to remain seated to watch music that makes one’s body want to move. Anyway you all get the point. It was heaven.

And as always, I waited around with some new friends, constantly scanning the room for him. And sure enough, in a big puffy jacket and a skull cap covering his fro, I spotted Vinicius almost alone at the bar. I came over and told him “Cada vez que vóçe toca em Amsterdão, eu venho, e cada vez é o melhor prazer do ano. Muito obrigado pelo seu trabalho.” He looked at me with gratitude and slight suprise – you’ve come to see me every year? oh man.. .thank you so much for that support. thats wonderful.

That’s Vinicius. He’s the bestest.

Shine the Spotlight on Liberians

On the Liberian national symbol thingie, it says “Love of Liberty Brought Us Here.” A shining piece of evidence of what a lack of freedom the country its founders were fleeing – The USA – embodied in the late 1800’s. And then the history books and wikipedias tell us that the republic was doing great up until 1980 when there was a coup and everything went to shit and now unemployment is at 80%. 80%! That’s alot of people just hanging out, trying to survive without an income.

And so the man who put the W in warlord, president Richard Taylor, ran off a year or so ago and is hiding out hoping the world will forget about him much like they’d long forgotten Liberia. Now they’re having elections, and despite not being a citizen of Liberia, never having been there, and not having to live there afterwards, I like the two main candidates in this election:

In this corner, from the slums of Monrovia, international soccer (or football depending on what english you speak) star and all around national symbol of success – Former FIFA player of the year and huma nrights advocate, Mr…. Geooooorge Weah.

and in this corner, direct from Harvard where she got her masters degree in economics (i think). The pride of the World Bank and City Bank where she made a name for herself, former exile and political prisoner, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

As of this moment it’s a runoff and the results aren’t clear. The word is that the voting has been pretty good, transparent, and hey – considering the state of democracy these days – thats pretty good. I’m pullin for George. Though Id love to see the continent’s first female prez, I don’t dig her banking background… last thing we need in this world is citybank pushing credit card debt on more of us. 😉

A-Ren Talks in Dreams

It has been quite some time since I’ve talked about my super-human toddler-extraordinaire nephew the A-REN. Perhaps because it has been almost a year since I last sat next to his high-chair and he threw all his toys on the floor and gave me that “pick em up uncle slaveboy from Holland.” – A look that I always obey of course, cause you can’t deny the A-Ren.

But as you can imagine, throughout the year my dear brother and my mama keep me going with plenty of photos and the occasional video of A-Ren dancing around to Portuguese music. And perhaps that and my upcoming trip to New Jersey (1 month away) that have led to some very interesting dreams lately.

Now in real life, the A-Ren is still not using the languages of the uncivilized world many of us use. Instead he has created his own language which I believe to be too highly advanced for humans, especially boring adults. Though he does humor the family by saying a few key English and Portuguese words. Yet, lately I have this re-occuring dream where my toddler nephew walks into my apartment and immediately shouts my name and runs up to me and hugs my one leg and starts talking up a storm asking me why I haven’t been to visit him lately. Im pretty sure he speaks to me in English, but the part that always blows me away is when he knows all about me and what Im doing in Amsterdam and demands that we go out in the garden and play. — A vision of the future perhaps? An acid flashback perhaps? A lack of sleep? — likely.

Oh and since one day my nephew will be reading all the old posts his uncle wrote about him — hey buddy, here’s lookin’ at you.