bicyclemark

My Friend in Malawi

If you study in an international place like Amsterdam at an international school for social sciences, you find yourself living with some insanely ambitious and worldy people. I’m talkin bicyclemark and his 4 or 5 languages and dual nationality is basically considered average. And of course, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s also a situation where people are constantly passing through, moving on, moving out. And just as frequently, they come back to visit.

That’s my segway to talking about my friend Cecilia, who graduated around the same time as I did well over a year ago. She’d long been saying she wanted to do work with an organization in Africa. Never specified where really, for her any corner of the continent seemed worthy of her attention and prescence.

Recently I got that classic email many of us get when our friends move somewhere new and exciting. C had arrived in Pretoria, South Africa (if I recall correctly) and she was on her way to Malawi – her final destination for a new project. Malawi. I went directly to wikipedia. I know tons about African history. I can name 96% of the countries and their capitals. Most of their prime ministers too. But I didn’t remember where the hell Malawi was or what the situation was there. And so I read up.. and now Im a fairly informed podjournalist.

Fortunately, and I’d like to think my influence helped, C has a started a weblog. Which is perfect for me (and you) to read of her experiences and see her photos of Malawi and all the wonderous journeys she’s be making during her new life there. Another bit of proof showing the uses and power of blogs; I’m now a concerned observer of life/politics in Malawi, and I’d like very much to visit.

Disaster Fund Disparity

It’s a theme that i revisit regularly, it seems; disparity in how the first world looks at the third world and the tragedies related. I’m sure for lots of the big newspapers and conversations round the watercooler, few are still talking about the incredibly devastating earthquake in Kashmir. But I’m still watching, and I’m still angry at the embarassing and disrespectful reaction for many of the powerful forces in the international community.

Today I read the UN’s statement that out of the 550 million $ they need to get through the coming months of relief work, they’ve only received 20%! 20%! As a comparison, the almost cliché call for hurricane relief in the US gulf coast has generated 1 billion $! 1 billion!

It’s not my preferred hobby to sit around comparing disasters and death, but 80,000 people died in Kashmir. 800,000 are displaced and without shelter. Yet they receive not even 1/4 of the amount of aid. That’s shameful, unjust, and I’d venture to say it’s also racist.

bicyclemark78: Children of the Stones; Refugees in the West Bank

An interview with an excellent photojournalist, social scholar, and friend of mine who recently returned from working in the West Bank, where he interviewed children and their families about the culture and practice of throwing stones at soldiers and tanks.

AudioCommunique #78(mp3)
29min+, 80kbps, 17Mb+

Discussed:
Why he decided to go to refugee camps in Palestine
How children explained their role in Palestinian society
What their parents said about this practice
The children’s vision and hope for the future
Stratos’s Photo Website

Song in this show:
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Minstrel Boy

Simply Exhausted

Instead of blabbing about how tired I am and speaking about Haloween in Amsterdam and frisbee. I’ll simply share images of my day. We lost all our matches, my excuse is I belong playing outside amongst the dirt and wind. Sniff sniff… I smell.

MC throws

Game Time

group shot.

Hmm... drunky?

Step Two:

After awhile it becomes boring to just echo what all the other follow-the-leader bloggers are yappin about. So go somewhere else to read about how little scooter is done for. And this is certainly not nuff, I want so heads to roll next week as well please.

What they really should fire/disband is the whole CIA. It is a pathetic agency. I repeat PATHETIC. Intelligence? They don’t seem to have a clue about the world in the last few decades. They don’t know who is developing nuclear weapons or who is eating yellow cake or where attacks are going to be launched or anything. They are useless. And worst of all, they have a BLACK BUDGET. Meaning they can spend as much as they dam well please and no one ever gets to know about it. I’m betting majority of the CIA is on vacation the whole year round faking they’re investigating something. Yeah, get me a plane ticket, I need to go investigate fine wine and beautiful people on the Fiji islands. It’s top secret, so don’t tell any regular citizens.

When you add to that, the fact that they’ve single handedly toppled governments and assasinated elected leaders around the world, I’m thinking they have the shittiest record of any so-called intelligence agency in the history of the world.

The firing of scooters and harry it’s is very cute and loads of fun. But really, this is a drop in the bucket and I demand they cut to the chase and disband the group of thugs that have helped to create a rediculously violent world filled with half-assed information (like this blog). FIRE THE CIA! HOORAY.

Podcast after I’ve returned home victorious tomorrow as my indoor frisbee team the “A’dam and Eve’s” takes on the BFrisbee2’s and other wakka-wakka named teams in Nijmegen tomorrow… err… later today.

Step One:

Let the official collapse begin. Harry It is done. Rejoice all ye rational human beings.