Author Archives: bicyclemark

Delay in the carpal Tunnel

When I’m not in the fishtank, my job involves sittin pretty in an office-type atmosphere. I love being up there because unlike in the fishtank, I’m not repeatedly interrupted by young, beautiful fish, who try to put spells on me which prevent any kind of work from getting done. But today my shoulder aching was noted by co-workers, and the conversation quickly switched to “Why Bicyclemark should fear the wrath of Carple Tunnel.” (also known in the netherlands as RSI.)They threw around all kinds of recommendations, mostly about finally buying an office chair, straightening my lazy back, etc.

I kept thinking of Tony Pierce, who has so often mentioned this horrible condition. So often I remember him making blog posts that simply say “I can’t post today because of the pain, here’s one from the archives.” I can’t believe I’m heading down that road… it’s actually quite scarey. Hell, I even appealed to Tony today for some words of wisdom. Come to think of it, he warned me long ago.

25 years old is the bicyclemark! That’s invincible age! I can climb mountains, run marathons, rub my tummy and pat my head at the same time, .. what’s this arm pain? Doesn’t it know who I am? Doesn’t it know that without the inkernet and computers, I’m done for? Thank the golden calf there’s podcasting, cause my voice never betrays me. You hear that voice… don’t fail me now!

Speaking of the pod, I just read the Dawn and Drew article in the US’s lamest national paper. For a paper that is normally quite journalisticaly-challenged, it’s a pretty decent fluff piece. And nice for DnD, my internet bitches.

Time to go check the Ma&Me blog. C’est cool.

Today’s Sounds: Waldemar Bastos – Angola, Minha Namorada

Angola, my girlfriend

I love getting home at 1am and changing the date and time of my blog so that it still takes place yesterday. Apparently I’ve got an obsession with being a daily blogger… even if its only a matter of hours.

So besides a very uncharacteristically long work afternoon, what kept me from getting to the blog until now was none other then mr Waldemar Bastos, my good friend, who performed tonight at the melkweg. Matter of fact.. the Rum he gave me seems to be triggering more spelling mistakes then normal. (spell check to my rescue perhaps) So yes… Cinema gal accompanied me to the show where BigJim also showed up, to enjoy an Angolan singer who they’ve heard me speak so highly of. Whenever sometime mentions him, I’m like a little show off, always adding “he’s my friend.. I’m a friend of the family!” like this tidbit of information will let me into the cool crowd. Hell maybe it will get me laid. (nope) Hmm.. I wonder if the Havana Club is talking. MR Havana are you there?

Mr. Rum says:



You bet buddy. Good concert tonight! I was just sitting around backstage waiting for Waldemar to come drink me with the band.. and then you show up. Three years I had to wait for this night, but at least now I get in a blog. Plus yours gets tons of hits lately, probably cause of that damn podcast I keep hearing about. Like crack for the ears they say. Anyway, seemed to me Waldemar was really glad to see you, man… there was so much hugging going on in the green room, it’s like you’re all either family or lovers.

— It’s beyond that Mr Havana… there’s a great bond between me and that man and his band. Unbelievable that we met back in 1998 at the Knitting Factory in NYC, and have now known each other in three different countries in the span of 6 years. Waldemar said it himself tonight (in portuguese of course) “I’ve stopped trying to explain the coincidences in life. What cannot be explained mathematically… I just don’t try. I can only tell you, life is a mystery.” (stop thinking of madonna, it was a heartfelt moment)

Time to stop, plus I’ve got a podcast to do… if I’m sober enough.

Shout out to VC in the 21 century, who’s blog I bombard with comments. And lest we not forget it was recently fencepost’s anniversaire.

Today’s Sounds: Kings of Convenience – Riot on an Empty Street

Pizza from Iraq

As if having hundreds of people around the world reading or listening to what you have to share wasn’t enough of an honor. Or the amazing new friends, be they bloggers or readers, that I’ve made. Nevermind the super-kind comments that are left everyday, by so many different people. You’d think that was already overwhelming.. but it has gone beyond that. The tips that have been left in the paypal tip jar couldn’t have come at a better time, to pay the internet publishing bills. The CD from xtx, the letters from my couz, and today… A package from Iraq! I’ll wait while you read that line again…

Chris Missick, a member of the 319th Signal Battalion, stationed in Iraq, send Bicyclemark, a member of the Amsterdam lazy-ex-pat community, a package. Talk about role reversal. As the postalworker handed me the package, I looked at the address and then looked up at him and smiled; “It’s from Iraq,” I said with excitement. “I know” he responded with a look of will you and your plague filled package please leave now. I sniffed the package, which is shaped like a pizza box, for its desert scent; a pizza from Iraq, I kept thinking to myself. The contents of my pizzabox: lots of new music, some music magazines, a copy of a military newspaper (cause Im interested in propaganda), and a still packaged kefeyah.. complete set that would make Yassir Arafat himself envious.

But this stirs up lots of odd feelings. Beyond gratitude. I know Chris because of his blog, a self-described war-blog. Now you may know, I’m a Pacifist with a capital P. I also have a deep distaste for patriotism, nationalism, and all the associated isms. (like Ferris said.. I don’t believe in isms, I prefer to believe in myself)While since my first reading of his blog I realized I don’t agree with most of his political views, especially in terms of Iraq, I did (and still do) admire his passion for writing and describing the world as he sees it. Oh, and we also discovered that we have identical taste in music. (Im so loving these cd’s)And so I ask myself… how ironic is this?

Some of these thoughts stem from my viewing of the first half of the STUperbowl last night. Me and BigJim, both jerseans in exile for the long haul, decided to take in some American football, at an expat pub with 1 million screens and 2 million drunks. But I think it was completely ruined for us the moment it began. It was like a giant military parade. Veterans marched on to the field — WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH FOOTBALL? F-16’s flew overhead. Ex-presidents walked onto the field, pretending to still be important. And then to further scare the shit out of me, they beam images of soldiers in Iraq watching the game. One camp ironically titled “camp victory”. Out of the entire pub crowd, a hand full of Americans stood up all solemn and started singing the national anthem and putting their hands over their hearts and giving the room dirty looks. I gotta be honest, this pacifist wanted to throw cups of beer at them like this was a Detroit Pistons game. Interestingly many in the room gave them blank stares or dirty looks right back. One even raised his arm in nazi salut style.

Extreme you think? I don’t really. Its the same formula in a different era maybe for a different goal. They still push a political agenda using patriotism, nationalism, songs, oaths, ceremonies, symbols, etc etc. And I felt especially angry because this is not the United States, and I had hoped this place would be kept free from that which I considered nonsense. I guess you could say I felt (dillusional as always) that my safe-place had been discovered, and these patriotic Americans were going to somehow hurt me.

Anyway, Chris I know you’re out there, and I do so thank you, and consider you a friend. In fact, it is (has always been) a friendship that reminds me people with differences can still learn from each other and get along.

Today’s Sounds: Pinback (my fav so far, thanks Chris!)

AudioCommuniqu? #9: Red Light District Soundseeing

3am is a nice hour to finish a podcast. This following a night of Red Light District Soundseeing. No energy left, so nothing left to say except, this one was damn fun. Follow along with the flickr photoshow whenever you hear Jon Stewart.

AudioCommuniqu? #9 (mp3)

64kbps, 22min+, 10.5mb

Featuring

  • The Specials
  • Casa Rosso
  • Oude Kerk
  • Febo
  • Scottish Youth haggling with a prostitute
  • Sex Shop Browsing
  • Latex Distortion (the band)

Goodbye to my boys

Amsterdam life brings weeks like this. Weeks where some of your favorite people and closest friends sail away from unknown periods of time, to go where life takes them. At the international student drink the other night, I wished Toronto’s-finest-chef-in-exile a safe journey back to Ontario, where he will remain for the time being. Vowing, of course, to return to the Amsterdam ex-pat community which knows and loves him…. and his cooking.

And then there was last night… the final night of the inappropriate Brian is going to to New York City goodbye pub marathon. Which consists mostly of pretty ladies, funny Dutch guys, and caf? Cuba.. which should be famous for its tall-ass dutch dudes. This coming from an average tall brotha.

I digress, the inappropriate one is leaving again, and he shall return ever six months, yet still it’s sad. Who else is going to remind me about going out partying, meet the lovely ladies, and recite Eddy Izzard with me? Alas.. thus is Amsterdam life… brothas and sistas come and go, regardless if they’re dutch or just inappropriate. Travel safe my friend… say hi to the tri-state area for me.

The Red-Lightcast… aka.. Red Light Sound Seeing tour is about to begin, as soon as I put my coat and headset on. Hopefully I get offered cocaine and extasy, cause that’s always fun to hear. And maybe a prostitute hanging outside her door will call me baby or honey… I love that too. Is this a good time to say, if she’s reading, “Hi mom”.

Oh.. and I had hot choco with these dude excellent gentlemen bloggers, one of which is yet-another cool expat in Amsterdam. Mr. Waking up in Amsterdam and the Trend Junkie, direct from Baltimore. Our conversations have only just begun, but if you had to drink every time we said blogging or podcasting, you’d be getting your stomach pumped right now.

Today’s Sounds: The Specials – Selftitled.