Author Archives: bicyclemark

I hitchhiked here

I took a train… to a train… I started in PAris… and then I was in the middle of fields and dirt and ice.. and I thought to myself “keep walkin man…”

I kept thinking I would just find someone on the street.. and then I did. French lady was just standing there waiting for ther butcher shop to open. But he wasn’t… and so I told her “Je suis completement perdu.” And she thought it was funny.. and my feet/hands/nose/soul were freezing. And then she knocked on a window, and a guy handed her keys, and she drove me to this tiny town. She explained the history of this beautiful area, and she said she used to hitchhike, and so she wanted to help me, and one day I will drive someone as well. I told her I would, only on bike!

And here I sit. with the coolest family ever. LaVacheQuiLit aka MAdame L.. rocks. Oldest Daughter Rocks as well. And well.. everyone in this house… even the walls rock. Not much for choosing adjectives today, am I?

OK, now back to Paris and Ill work on the soundseeing. A plus.

Today’s Sounds: The sounds of the French countryside

Cruisin through the BENELUX

As you read this.. picture me in a van with a bunch of strangers, rambling in Dutch, en route to Paris. Then look at the lovely photo of the thing my admissions girls made for me. Now go back to what you were doing… sorry for the interruption.

Or you can listen to Madge, woman of Luna, interview some Trannies in little Havana – now that’s journalism!

Today’s Sounds: Callas — not sure what album

I see drugs

If I lean over all the fake trees and treasure chests, and look out some of the fishtank windows, I can see NoComunicado giving a presentation about Plan Colombia and the fake-ass war on drugs. They’re watching a documentary as well, I caught a bit of it, lot’s of Colombian farmers/families expressing their outrage at the shitty 900 dollars per year the government offers them to stop farming coca.

Whenever I get the chance I sit with NoComunicado and we shoot the shit. He’s doing the same Journalism for Elvis Impersonators Masters program that I did when I got to Amsterdam. He is a wise man, and lately has been telling me about the new bonus package US congress just approved for more guns and helicopters for the colombian government. Or as he reminds me… more money for American weapons manufacturers.

I got no love for the war or drugs. Anybody who does is ironically on crack. D-Rock is a professional in fighting to end this charade, but man, all these billions and all those guns, this shit will never end and every white house ruler for the past decades seems to have added to the mess.

Paris, demain! Anybody need anything from the city of lights? Dog poop in a bag perhaps? Half eaten baguette? I’m on it.

Shout out to Viva Podcast, the goods arrived in my postbox today! From New Mexico with love.

Today’s Sounds: Cambridge Independent Music Podcast

Paris South Iberia Left

Before getting to today’s business, I got a lil announcement: I’ll be podcasting from none other then Par?s, France this weekend! Yes… thanks to hitchhikers.org I got hooked up with a bunch of students who rented a bus and are going down for the weekend.. 40 euros round trip, I couldn’t turn it down.

This means the AudioCommuniqu? will have a decidedly Fran?ais flavor to it and just wait for all the madness that comes out of bicyclemark in that environment. Remember April 2004, my last visit? Gotta make sure all my batteries are charged and equipment is ready, cause we’re talking soundseeing, interviews, language melange, etc.

I’ll also be visiting with a laundry list of my favorite people ever, who have all migrated to that city in the past years: Shakespeare who studied with me in Aix, BlueBerry Girl who handles the World’s Bank money, Big Jim who’s still settling in, and my Polish compadre who studied with me here in the ‘dam. I’m psyched… anybody need anything from Paris?

Onward to business. I consider myself an Iberian blogger, because my heritage and my legal status is tied to Portugal and hence, the Iberian peninsula. And sometimes, amidst all the stupidity and debauchery, Spain and Portugal do some cool shit that I like watching. Which is exactly what happened this weekend.

The political left is back in business in PT, with the socialist party taking a big ol majority. More importantly, my boys the Left Block, the thinkers, the guys who don’t dress well for parliament, they gained seats! Even the Communist/Greens gained, which is fun too. Don’t get me wrong, its typical political crap, less then 6 years ago they got all pissy with the socialists and kicked them the hell out, and now they welcome them back like potential saviors.. same shit.. hooray for democracy and its goldfish memory.

Also quite interesting, the Spaniards went to the polls.. well.. some of them, and they voted YES to the European Constitution. I understand some of the criticism out there about this document, but overall it promotes a standard of human rights that I think is a pretty good start, so I’m psyched the voters support it. Lots of countries in Europe, including my dear Netherlands and Portugal look like they might reject it in a referendum, but at the very least, it was cool to see Spain go for it.

What… you don’t like European Politics? 25 countries… 10 languages or whatever… how can you not be curious? I find it fun in a very watching paint dry type way.

For real fun, consult the HUN, my new daily read, and BigTanky who sent a nice email.

Anyone wanna go to paris from amsterdam friday? 40 euros round trip.. 2 spots left.. use the email.

Today’s Sounds: Slackers – The Question

Bye Rube!

Lots of bloggers were inspired by him. Not enough journalists were. Lots of pieces will be written about what he meant to them and how sad his death was. Madame Levy wrote the first one I saw when I rose from slumber this mornin. – Fuck. HST croaked. I should’ve poured a glass of whiskey and sparked up just to pay my disrespect.

But the almost-sherrif of aspen wouldn’t have wanted that. He would look at my blogpost and tell me to fuck off and go enjoy myself in Amsterdam and write some shit that exposes the bastards… cause the bastards need exposing. Followed by a kick to the groin and an eye-gouge.

The year was 2000, and my priviledged bee-hind was sipping cassis while studying the geriatric socialist parties of Europe, in Proven?e. (south of france to those outside the KNOW) D-Rock was in Amsterdam, probably sipping on his drink of choice and gettin educated in that very exchange student way. I hopped on the fancy TGV, had passionate conversation hours with a mademoiselle, and when I finally came to, I was in Amsterdam. D-Rock introduced me around, got me a bike, and helped me blend into student life.

It was right about then when an American student from… chicago or texas or both, says to me “you study politics and media? So you must know HST?” And BAM — nothing was ever the same. I went home wondering who this man was and what the f is gonzo journalism? I picked up the Fear and Loathings, I put them down because they gave me a second hand high from all the drugs he was taking. I learned why and how to really hate nixon, not to mention the entire incestuous crack-whore world of American politics. Never able to really get into journalism, I was ruined for life.

Mohalo?

Oh yeah, I once googled gonzo blogs, and by some magic, I discovered mr TPB Esq!

Today’s Sounds: Jimmy Eat World – Futures